An Analytical Examination of the Extent of Civil Society (Ir)Relevance & Its Historical Materialism in Championing Good Governance

Abstract The euphoria of a global momentum of democracy that emerged in the early 1990s came with a belief that civil society would be key drivers in advancing democratic processes. In Zambia, civil society gained traction after the reintroduction of multiparty politics in 1990/1, yet over the years, has created a polarized debate on their relevance. On the one hand, some citizens see them as important actors in the development agenda by way of monitoring good governance practices. For this group, civil society organizations – notwithstanding their administrative shortcomings – are viewed positively as a glass half-full and hence essential for national growth. On the other hand, however, others argue that over time, civil societies have departed from what local people have been made to believe as the core principle of civil society, i.e., to champion the interests of marginalized groups, but instead have turned themselves into mouth pieces and fronts doing the bidding of the capitalist elites’ agendas entrenched in historical materialism. Specifically, from 2021 to 2024, critics have argued that civil societies who previously were very vocal (before the 2021 general elections that ushered in a new government) have now seemed to have hibernated, becoming increasingly mute on critical governance issues. It is further argued that some have been co-opted into the government system as part of a ploy to diffuse critical voices. Many others are perceived to be lumpen briefcase entities; businesses built around cronyism yet masquerading as civil society. This study argues that the extent of the relevance of civil societies depends largely on how (in)competent the incumbent regime is. A diligent regime which is steadfast in delivering on its key manifesto promises (as has seemed to be the case in Zambia from 2021 to 2024 under a new government) invariably makes civil society organizations appear to be less important in development discourse, and ultimately, their relevance might be comparable – metaphorically – to the role of a parish in a city council. To appreciate the essence of civil society and their frequent antagonisms with the state, this study examined a juxtaposed theoretical and conceptual analysis of the origins and ontology of civil society gleaned from Liberal, Marxist, Critical Theory, and Postcolonial theoretical lenses.