Question

account for the failures by post independence african governments to implement rural development strategies

Answer 1

Why? The question presupposes that this is a surprising fact. But since sub-Saharan Africa has not exhibited a single example of a government that successfully develops its rural areas in all of recorded history, both before and after the decolonization wave of the 1960s, I would say the surprising fact is that anybody would have expected anything different.

Indeed, this question may contain Eurocentric roots that fail to comprehend that African cultural traditions of government have different aims and philosophy than European.

Answer 2

One important factor that has caused African (and with most colonies that fell victim to "new imperialism") was the fact that they all had little or no experience ruling themselves, it had all been done by their colonial masters. The public also didn't really know what/how to participate in a democracy (this isn't worded as nice as I wish) So, when they were cast off, the revolutionary movements couldn't really know how to rule in a good manner.