The appearance of democracy

In Martin Scorsese’s film The departedthere’s a scene where a police recruit is asked, “Do you want to be a cop, or do you want to look like you’re a cop?”

In early September, several notable organizations in Ghana joined the call for decisive action against illegal gold mining, which has contributed to heartbreaking ecocide in some of Ghana’s resource-rich areas.

Groups that have not been heard from for years crawled out of crevices to demand that the government of Nana Akufo-Addo, which many believe to be complicitfinally showing commitment to protecting Ghana’s rivers from poisoning by illegal gold mining. A local broadcaster even organized a six-hour marathon, giving some of these groups airtime to make their calls.

They care, right? Or do they just seem to care?

Fast forward to September 21, the birthday of Ghana’s independence hero and Pan-Africanist Kwame Nkrumah. Like last year, a group of mostly young Ghanaians gathered for a three-day protest, hoping to march on the presidency, this time with a call for an end to illegal mining. Like last yearthey faced human rights abuses by law enforcement officers, who have turned into the zombies Fela sang about.

Police more than fifty people arrestedtreated some of them and also denied them access to their lawyers. Among the arrested citizens were children under the age of 10 (who appear to have been released). Their only crime is that they have gone beyond appeals and dared to challenge the president in the seat of power.

The police action was no surprise. The real disappointment, however, was a lack of tangible support, versus the blatant abuse of protesters who stood up for a call that the rest of the country seemed to support.

There is a painful dissonance surrounding the culture of protest in Ghana, which in normal times manifests itself in isolated movements that limit sustainability. In the worst scenarios, the dissonance translates into a desire for respectability in protest, so that these movements can be deemed worthy of the support of those who keep up appearances.

My biggest disappointment in the wake of the crackdown on anti-illegal mining protesters came from the Media Foundation for West Africa, whose director is known the police for their behavior during the demonstrations. Mind you, police actions included rounding up protesters, taking them to secret locations to avoid legal support, and essentially starving them. I expected better from the figurehead of a human rights organization.

Then there was A Rocha Ghana, one of the more vocal environmental groups in Ghana, which staged a non-confrontational protest with the same message a day after the crackdown on demonstrators. But there was zero solidarity for the prisoners of A Rocha. They stood on sidewalks, holding up signs and once again calling for Akufo-Addo to end illegal mining. It was as if the dozens of young protesters kidnapped by police did not exist.

It almost seems that the autocratic characteristics of the Akufo-Addo government do not exist. There’s a lack of urgency that makes you wonder if the few voices in the wilderness demanding accountability are crazy. On the international stage, Ghana’s PR is so strong that many pretend Akufo-Addo is not in the same WhatsApp group as Yoweri Museveni.

The state takeover under Akufo-Addo has deprived citizens not only of income and natural resources, but also of the rule of law. The judiciary seemed more independent when Ghana was under a junta in the 1980s, which even led to the tragic murder of three judges who are now regarded as martyrs of the rule of law in Ghana. With the police and the attorney general’s office violating the basic principles of the rule of law and protecting an evil executive, the judiciary is doing nothing.

The rot is exhausting everyone in Ghana. For the vast majority, this has manifested itself in the ongoing generational economic crisis. Many of us are equally concerned about the generational crisis that could lead to Ghana importing drinking water within the next decade.

The cartel of a political class plundering the people will not disappear if we vote out the current political party as Ghanaians are wont to do. We have always confused elections with responsibility, removing politicians from office with the billions they have looted so they can wait until we get fed up with the government we replaced them with. Sustained acts of protest appear to be the last resort to ensure responsible governance.

Ghanaians can no longer be content to care. Moral fortitude must replace respectability so that we can meaningfully challenge the political class. I bet Akufo-Addo shudders at the thought of a stagnant red puddle in front of his office, calling him a thief and a murderer of the environment. That is why police are going rabid and courts are issuing draconian rulings to discourage further daring acts of protest.

We are at a crisis point and we need to have difficult conversations and step on the toes of people and institutions who have shown nothing but contempt for citizens. Once we abandon our respectability in protest, we can catalyze a citizenry crying out for a beacon and inspiration.

Just acting as a protester and good citizen has cost Ghana a lot of money over the past thirty years. Our democracy is a sham. But there is plenty of evidence to show that the political class still fears an engaged citizenry. We just need one final push to ensure that we exchange the appearance of democracy for actual democracy.