Since the dawn of human civilization, democracy has been a highly contested topic among scholars and politicians. Today, the word is not only associated with a system of government but also with the freedom of the people within a polity. This paper argues that democracy in the context of Africa has caused more problems than solutions and can be seen as a paradox of some sort: blessed with abundant human, mineral, and agricultural resources, the continent remains one of the poorest regions in the world. The objective of this study is to advances the theory that there can be fully self-determining societies with rights to collective self-determination when the government is doing the people's bidding. This paper suggests that a responsive and responsible government is preferable to the people and would potentially mitigate the desire for selfdetermination. There is no doubt that democracy cannot solve all the problems of society.

Keywords : Africa, democracy, government, people, selfdetermination.