Every government that I have known has laid claim to the principle of cabinet ‘collective responsibility,’ in the conduct of its business but an understanding of its scope remains vague even to those who commit to it. The intention here is not to deny the administrative usefulness of this much entrenched convention, but given that it is at the core of our political system, an in-depth understanding of its operation should be a requirement for all those wanting to participate in the political process. Indeed, I venture to argue that in our “third-world” context, certain of its provisions could lead to band-wagoning and cronyism.
The convention arose out of the 16th century power struggle between the British monarchs and their ministers. At the time the monarch was not only the head of state but also the head of government but as the belief in the divine right of kings diminished and greater monarchial accountability became widespread and acceptable, politicians sought to use, among other things, collective action to wrestle
