Africa Should not Follow Venezuela's Bad Example

Fiery rhetoric from Chavez has not helped calm the violence and instability in his country, and he has resorted to dubious tactics to muster support. Evidence shows that Chavez has used economic incentives to punish political opponents in the past and he often refers to a published list of those who voted for him and those who did not, by name.

Both Chavez and Morales are polarising figures who have divided their countries along ethnic and social lines. Their message might be a good one: empower the "have-nots" and create a more inclusive and participatory political economy. But their way of going about such goals draws on ideological responses where pragmatic solutions are required. They tend to undermine democratic principles and are applying economic approaches that have devastated resource-dependent countries like theirs time and again.

This is not a model for SA or any African country. This story of corrosive power and patriarchal politics has played out too many times before on this continent.