Gerontocracy and its Influence on Political and Pastoral Leadership in Africa

Abstract

Gerontocracy is leadership that is strongly based on seniority derived from age. It is “a state or group governed by old people. In its purest form, the council of elders governs for the greater good of the community”(“Gerontocracy”). The factors of age and elderhood in gerontocracy are derived from the family ideal that the elder siblings cared for the younger ones and as a kinship, the eldest who led was compelled by this ideal to be a good leader. Dictatorship was out of the question because all family heads met and deliberated on matters that concerned the compound family, hamlet, kindred or clan. The abuse of this privileged leadership because of age was not tolerated neither was the bad leader. What they feared about the bad leader was the evils that he would release on the members, just as today, political leaders of any age unleash the hegemonic powers of the state (police, army, law, courts) on its perceived opponents.