President of Namibia wins 2014 Ibrahim Prize for African leadership

(Vatican Radio) Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba has been awarded the 2014 Ibrahim Prize for African leadership, the first African leader to win the honor since 2011. The $5 million prize is for is for democratically elected African leaders who excel in governance and who step down from office at the end of their terms, but is not awarded if no leader is seen to meet the requirements.

``During the decade of Hifikepunye Pohamba's presidency, Namibia's reputation has been cemented as a well-governed, stable and inclusive democracy with strong media freedom and respect for human rights,'' said prize committee chairman Salim Ahmed Salim.

Despite the fact the prize has not been awarded in four years, it does not necessarily mean conditions in Africa are not improving.

The problems of governance in Africa still relate to competition for influence and scarce resources between ethnic groups, because the borders in Africa tended to drawn by the colonialists across ethnic groups, and that is still a problem that African states are trying to get over,” explained Günther Simmermacher, the editor of the South African Catholic newspaper, The Southern Cross.

Listen to the interview with Günther Simmermacher: 

“In Africa, the progress to a democratic culture is still very much in its early stages,” said Simmermacher. “People forget that African states mostly received their independence only 50 years ago, as compared to democracy having been more established for a longer period of time in the [United States] and Europe.”