When we talk about development in Africa, we usually talk about money, jobs, industries, roads, technology, and investment.
We measure progress through numbers, inflation rates, and growth percentages. But we rarely ask a deeper question, what kind of political culture allows development to last?
From this perspective, Kenneth Kaunda’s theory of tolerance gives us an answer that is both simple and powerful. He argued that development begins with how people treat one another.
Thus, tolerance was not weakness, it was discipline and it was choosing unity when division seemed easier.
When Zambia gained independence in 1964, the country was vulnerable. Ethnic divisions could have exploded into violence. The region was tense, surrounded by racial conflict and liberation wars. Kaunda could have ruled with anger or revenge.
Instead, he preached reconciliation, emphasized respect across tribes, races, and political differences. That choice helped Zambia avoid the kind of civil wars that destroyed other nations.
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This is where tolerance connects directly to development. No country can build industries, attract investors, or educate its children in the middle of chaos. War destroys schools.
Political violence scares away business. Tribal conflict weakens national identity. Stability is the soil in which development grows hence tolerance protects that soil.
Today, many African countries still struggle with political polarization. Elections sometimes divide communities. Social media spreads anger faster than dialogue. Opposition parties are treated like enemies rather than competitors.
When politics becomes a battlefield, development slows down. Energy that could be used to build economies is instead used to fight one another.
Kaunda’s philosophy reminds us that disagreement does not have to lead to destruction. A country can argue without breaking apart.
Leaders can compete without humiliating one another. Citizens can criticize their governments without being labelled traitors. This kind of political maturity creates stability, and stability creates opportunity.
Tolerance also matters because development is not just about buildings and roads, but rather it is about people. Kaunda’s Christian Humanism centred on human dignity. He believed every person mattered.
When people feel respected and included, they participate more fully in society. They start businesses, vote, innovate and invest emotionally in their country’s future.
On the other hand, when groups feel excluded because of tribe, religion, gender, or political belief they withdraw or resist. Marginalization creates resentment. Resentment creates instability. And instability blocks development. Inclusive societies are stronger societies.
However, tolerance must be balanced. It should not mean accepting corruption or poor leadership in the name of peace. Africa has seen moments where calls for unity were used to silence criticism.
True tolerance allows accountability. It protects the right to question authority and it encourages open dialogue rather than blind loyalty.
In fact, dialogue is one of tolerance’s greatest strengths. Africa is diverse culturally, linguistically, religiously. Policies imposed without listening often fail, but when governments consult communities, when young people and civil society are heard, development becomes shared and people support what they help create.
Youth unemployment is one of Africa’s biggest challenges today. Millions of young people feel frustrated and unheard. In intolerant political systems, that frustration can turn into unrest. But in tolerant systems, young people can channel their energy into entrepreneurship, activism, and innovation. They become builders instead of protesters.
Tolerance also matters beyond national borders. Africa’s future depends on cooperation, trade agreements, regional partnerships, and continental integration. Xenophobia and nationalism weaken these efforts.
A culture of tolerance encourages collaboration across borders, strengthening economic growth and shared prosperity.
The article argues that, one of Africa’s greatest challenges is not lack of resources but lack of unity. The continent is rich in minerals, culture, and human potential. Yet division repeatedly slows progress.
Kaunda understood that without moral discipline, political freedom can collapse into conflict.
Still, tolerance alone is not enough. It must work together with strong institutions, transparent governance, and smart economic planning.
Moral values cannot replace good policy, but they can guide it. Development without humanity is unstable. Growth without unity is fragile.
What makes Kaunda’s theory powerful is its clarity! It asks leaders to act with restraint, citizens to respect differences, and nations to choose dialogue over violence. These are not dramatic solutions, but they are foundational ones.
In conclusion, development is not only about what a country builds, it is about what holds it together. Tolerance holds societies together.
It reduces the cost of conflict, strengthens democracy, encourages participation and creates the peace that development requires.
Africa does not need to abandon ambition or competitiveness. It needs disciplined strength, the kind Kaunda described.
If tolerance becomes more than a slogan, if it becomes embedded in institutions, education systems, and political behaviour, it can quietly transform the continent.
Sometimes the most powerful development strategy is not louder politics or harsher leadership. Sometimes it is simply the courage to respect one another.
- Tadiwanashe Shasha is pursuing a Degree in International Relations at Africa University. She has a special interest in diplomacy and covering community issues and human interest issues.
• Michelle Sibanda is pursuing a degree in International Relations at Africa University. She has a special interest in examining political systems, policies, and global power dynamics and how countries interact with each other.