This edited collection explores how African governments have sought to decentralize power in order to enhance democratic governance. It offers a range of insightful case studies and makes a case for the usefulness of decentralization as a method of sharing power at all levels of society in Africa.

Charles M. Fombad: Introduction Part I: Introductory Overview 1: Nico Steytler: The Relationship between Decentralization and Constitutionalism in Africa: Concepts, Conflicts, and Hypotheses 2: Yash Ghai: Ethnicity, Decentralization, and Constitutionalism: A Comparative Perspective 3: Charles M. Fombad: Regional and Continental Frameworks for Decentralization in Africa: The African Charter on Decentralization Part II: Federal and Hybrid Federal Systems in Africa 4: Rotimi T. Suberu: Constitutional Infidelity and Federalism in Nigeria 5: Yonatan Fessha: A Federation without Federal Credentials: The Story of Federalism in a Dominant Party State 6: Nico Steytler: The Dynamic Relationship between Devolution and Constitutionalism in South Africa 7: Balingene Kahombo: Regionalizing Provinces under the Congolese Constitution of 18 February 2006: Progress and Challenges 8: Conrad M. Bosire: Implementation of Devolution under Kenya's 2010 Constitution: Political Resistance and the Struggle for the Ideals of Constitutionalism 9: Zemelak Ayitenew Ayele: Constitutionalism: The Missing Element in South Sudan's Elusive Quest for Peace through Federalism? Part III: Decentralisation, Local Government, and Constitutionalism 10: Jaap de Visser: Constitutionalisation of Local and Regional Government in South Africa, Uganda, and Lesotho 11: Kofi Quashigah: Decentralization for Participatory Governance under Ghana's 1992 Constitution: The Rhetoric and the Reality 12: Tinashe Chigwata: Decentralization and Constitutionalism in Zimbabwe: Can the Leviathan be Tamed? 13: Charles M. Fombad: Cameroon and the Anomalies of Decentralization with a Centralist Mindset 14: Joseph Hengelela Cihunda: Decentralised Territorial Entities and Promotion of Local Governance under the Constitution of 18 February 2006 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 15: André Thomashausen: The Concept and Implementation of 'Gradual Decentralization' in Mozambique 16: Sherif Elgebeily: Progress and Pitfalls in Constitutional Reform: Decentralization in the Wake of the Arab Spring in Egypt and Tunisia 17: Christophe Van der Beken: Subnational Constitutional Autonomy, Local Government, and Constitutionalism in Ethiopia Part IV: Traditional Institutions and Decentralisation 18: Jan Erk: Constitutionalisation of Traditional Authorities and the Decentralization of Governance: Anglophone and Francophone Africa Compared 19: Christa Rautenbach: Mapping Traditional Leadership and Authority in Post-Apartheid South Africa: Decentralization and Constitutionalism in Traditional Governance 20: Musa Njabulo Shongwe: The Tinkhundla Decentralization System: Is this a Blend of Traditional and Modern State Governance that Works? Part V: General Conclusion 21: Nico Steytler: The Symbiotic Relationship between Decentralization and Constitutionalism in Africa

The first study to explore the objectives and impact of decentralization initiatives in Africa, including the African Unions Charter on Decentralization, and the conditions necessary for their effective implementation Shows how decentralization can be used to accomplish democratic, accountable, and responsive governance, but which is, in turn, also much dependent on the realisation of constitutionalism Assesses the relative success of decentralizing initiatives across a range of African jurisdictions

Charles M. Fombad is Professor of Law and leads the African Constitutional Law Unit at the Institute for International and Comparative Law at the University of Pretoria. He has taught at the University of Botswana, the University of Yaoundé II, and was visiting Professor at the Universities of Dschang and Buea in Cameroon. From 2003 to 2007 he was also a Professor Extraordinarius of the Department of Jurisprudence at the University of South Africa. He is the author of several books and a member of the editorial board of a number of international journals. He is currently a vice-president of the International Association of Constitutional Law. He is also a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa and a fellow of the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study. His research interests include comparative African constitutional law, media law, and the African Union and legal history, especially legal harmonization. Nico Steytler holds the South African Research Chair in Multilevel Government, Law and Development at the Dullah Omar Institute of Constitutional Law, Governance and Human Rights, at the University of the Western Cape

The first study to explore the objectives and impact of decentralization initiatives in Africa, including the African Unions Charter on Decentralization, and the conditions necessary for their effective implementation Shows how decentralization can be used to accomplish democratic, accountable, and responsive governance, but which is, in turn, also much dependent on the realisation of constitutionalism Assesses the relative success of decentralizing initiatives across a range of African jurisdictions An open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence