DOCSLIB.ORG

Radicalizing Democracy and Power in Post-Conflict

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

RADICALIZING WOMEN-CENTERED ORGANIZING AND POWER IN POST-CONFLICT NAMIBIA: A CASE STUDY OF THE SHACK DWELLERS FEDERATION OF NAMIBIA By Angela R. Cowser Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Vanderbilt University in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In Religion May, 2013 Nashville, Tennessee Approved: Professor Victor Anderson Professor Sandra L. Barnes Professor C. Melissa Snarr Professor Paul Dokecki Copyright © 2013 Angela Cowser All Rights Reserved ii For Momma and Daddy iii All Saints Sunday, 2012 As well it should, completing the doctoral program in Religion at Vanderbilt University takes a tremendous amount of perseverance, stamina, and strength. All of the persons that I will thank in these acknowledgments have helped me mightily to run and finish this race. First is Victor Anderson, who over the past 20 years has shepherded countless students at both the doctoral and masters’ level through the rigors of finishing their degrees. I count myself fortunate to be among that number. In the classroom and the office - over lunch, and at the piano, Dr. Anderson has, lo these past six years, been a sure mentor and a loving guide ever armed with good humor and high rigor for his charges, especially for me. As a keen observer of his students’ natural gifts and interests, he led me to focus this dissertation in the area of the sociology of religion. For caring and for loving me, bless you Victor. The second person who rightly deserves equally high praise is my second reader and my beloved professor in the Sociology of Religion, Dr. Sandra Barnes. To sit across the table from Dr. Barnes means that you must produce scholarship that is outstanding, on time, and of the highest order. For accountability, unyieldingly high standards of excellence, a wise hand, and a gentle heart, I am forever in your debt. Thank you Dr. Barnes. My third reader, Dr. Melissa Snarr, allowed me to sit in her office, in one of those chairs with a strong back, and talk and talk and talk about community organizing, IAF, and justice. In her presence, Melissa lets me be a scholar and an organizer, welcoming at full throttle, the mix of the theoretical and the practice. For an oasis and a safe place to work and dream, plot and plan for a more just world, I thank you. And to my fourth reader, a hale and hearty thank you to Dr. Paul Dokecki. In his Human and Organizational Development classroom, Paul welcomed my skills and insights as a pastor and organizer, encouraging my interest in poor people’s organizing and cross-cultural work. For the plush chair, the command to “go do it”, and the unwavering support, I am grateful. To Ted Smith for your gentle heart, brilliant mind and sweet spirit, to Team Awesome – Kate Lassiter, Asante Todd, Jin Young Choi, Sean Hayden, Natalie Wigg-Stephenson - great companions on the journey, and to Pete Gathje – for believing in me, thank you. Our Dissertation Accountability Group – Asante, Jim, Tamara Lewis, and Christophe Ringer – has helped me stay focused and on track. Together, we keep the faith. Without question, this dissertation would not have happened without the leadership of my dear friend Rev. Trudy Stringer, who let me tag along with her, Barbara McClure, and 18 masters’ level students to Namibia for a three-week immersion which is where we met women from the Shack Dwellers Federation. Trudy, you’ve been my cheerleader, faithful friend, den mother, and wise sage to me for these past six. For your kindness and friendship, I am thankful. There are many Namibians that I need to thank. First is Anna Muller, the Executive Director of NHAG and a friend. Thanks Anna for saying yes to this research project, iv letting me live in your house for six months, and take care of Tatara and name Trixie! Thanks too to Lyn Fulton-John, Director of the Office of Honor Scholarship, not only for encouraging me to apply for a Fulbright, but really shepherding me through the whole process. I shall not forget Geniene VeiiI met Federasi leader Clemmons Kangombe on my second day in Namibia. He was my driver, interpreter, protector, and friend. Clemmons, you’re the best! To Raley Kastor, Maria, Roselinda Hendricks, Edison Tjihero, and Heinrich Amushila, the work that you do in the Federation is outstanding and worthy of the highest praise. Thanks for letting me run with you. I love and adore my parents, George and Marjorie Cowser. I am grateful that they value education and have encouraged me to continue learning, growing, and exploring. My dear father has gone on to the Church Triumphant and my loving mother has kept faith with me - every week for six years. For the sacrifices, abundant grace, and steadfast love, I am your grateful daughter. v LIST OF TABLES Table 2.0: Language Spoken by Ethno-Linguistic Group in Namibia Table 2.1: The Language Federation Respondents Speak at Home Table 2.2: Age of Federation Respondents Table 2.3: Head of Household Table 2.4: Number of Dependents Table 2.5: Chart of Daily Chores Table 2.6: Denominational and Church Affiliation of Respondents Table 2.7: Employment Status of Federation Respondents Table 2.8: Highest Educational Achievement Level for Federation Respondents Table 2.9: Reasons for Respondents not Completing Primary School Education Table 3.0: The Meaning of the Federation for Respondents Table 3.1: The Meaning of the Federation for Respondents by Age Table 4.0: Respondents’ Rationale for Joining the Federation Table 4.1: Three Most-Cited Reasons Respondents Remain in the Federation Based on Ethnicity Table 4.2: Three Most-Cited Reasons Respondents Remain in the Federation Based on Education Table 4.3: Three Most-Cited Reasons Respondents Remain in the Federation Based on Religion Table 4.4: Self-Assessment of Whether the Respondent is a Leader Table 4.5: Analysis of Leadership Qualities in Respondents who Self-Identify as Leaders Table 4.6: Analysis of Leadership Skills by Competency Area from Self-Identified Leaders vi Table 4.7: Why Respondents (Continue to) Participate in Daily Savings Table 4.8: Status of Respondents in the Saving and Building Process Table 4.9: Problems that the Federation Faces Table 4.10: Respondents and Their Opinions about Community Needs vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AMEC African Methodist Episcopal Church BIG Basic Income Grant CCN Council of Churches in Namibia CEO Chief Executive Officer CLIP Community Land Information Program CSO Community service organization DELK Evangelisch Lutherische Kirche in Namibia Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia DRC Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk Dutch Reformed Church ELCIN Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia ELCRN Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia IAF Industrial Areas Foundation MBOP Membership-Based Organization of the Poor NAMCOL Namibia College of Learning NHAG Namibia Housing Action Group NHK Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika NSS National Security State OVC Ovamboland People’s Congress RCC Roman Catholic Church SASO South African Students Organization viii SDI Shack and Slum Dwellers International SWAPO South West Africa People’s Organization SADF South African Defense Forces SDFN Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia UNIA Universal Negro Improvement Association WARC World Alliance of Reformed Congregations ix TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DEDICATION ........................................................................................................................ iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS....................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................ viii Chapter I. The Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia: Women-Centered Community ........... Organizing and Womanism: Prospects for Power and Poverty Reduction ................ 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 3 Situating the Author ............................................................................................ 5 A Dialectical Model of the Philosophies and Practices that Frame Federasi Life8 Apartheid Theology and Namibian Liberation Theology ............................ 9 Afrikaner Nationalism and Black Consciousness ...................................... 11 Womanism and Patriarchy .......................................................................... 13 Power-Based Organizing and Women-Centered Organizing ..................... 15 The MBOP and Church-Based Charity ...................................................... 18 Thesis and Argument .......................................................................................... 22 Method ................................................................................................................ 23 The Structure of the Dissertation ....................................................................... 29 II. A Brief History of Namibia: From Contact and Conquest to Independence ......... 32 A Historical Summary of Namibia .................................................................... 32 Namibia under German Colonial Rule (1884-1915) ....................................... 33 Namibia under South African Rule (1915-1990) Apartheid and Economic Exploitation ....................................................... 36 Bantustans and Peasant
Recommended publications
  • The Immediate and Long-Term Effects of Namibia's Colonization Process

    The Immediate and Long-Term Effects of Namibia's Colonization Process

    The Immediate and Long-Term Effects of Namibia’s Colonization Process By: Jonathan Baker Honors Capstone Through Professor Taylor Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa Baker, 2 Table of Contents I. Authors Note II. Introduction III. Pre-Colonization IV. Colonization by Germany V. Colonization by South Africa VI. The Struggle for Independence VII. The Decolonization Process VIII. Political Changes- A Reaction to Colonization IX. Immediate Economic Changes Brought on by Independence X. Long Term Political Effects (of Colonization) XI. Long Term Cultural Effects XII. Long Term Economic Effects XIII. Prospects for the Future XIV. Conclusion XV. Bibliography XVI. Appendices Baker, 3 I. Author’s Note I learned such a great deal from this entire honors capstone project, that all the knowledge I have acquired can hardly be covered by what I wrote in these 50 pages. I learned so much more that I was not able to share both about Namibia and myself. I can now claim that I am knowledgeable about nearly all areas of Namibian history and life. I certainly am no expert, but after all of this research I can certainly consider myself reliable. I have never had such an extensive knowledge before of one academic area as a result of a school project. I also learned a lot about myself through this project. I learned how I can motivate myself to work, and I learned how I perform when I have to organize such a long and complicated paper, just to name a couple of things. The strange inability to be able to include everything I learned from doing this project is the reason for some of the more random appendices at the end, as I have a passion for both numbers and trivia.
  • An Interview with Bishop James Kauluma Friendship to the Racist Government of South Africa

    An Interview with Bishop James Kauluma Friendship to the Racist Government of South Africa

    400 D Editorial 1k.m i In a recent meeting Bishop Kleopas Dumeni, leader of the Evangelical Lutheran Ovambokavango Church, said that the continued bloodshed of the Namibian people is now the responsibility of two persons, Prime Minister P . W. Botha of South Africa and President Ronald Reagan of the United States. The addition of the American president's name would have been unheard of even one year ago . But the sad fact is that Namibians see the U .S. government policy of "constructive engagement" with South Africa as supporting the brutal occupation of Namibia. And their analysis is far from wrong. Lutherans worship in a Namibian refugee camp The U.S. government has recently al- lowed the sending of electric shock batons, aircraft with military capability, Church Leaders sophisticated computers, military advisors and attaches — and open signs of cordial An Interview with Bishop James Kauluma friendship to the racist government of South Africa. And now the Reagan administration has added a new condition Earlier this year, the editor of Dateline :Namibia met with the Right Reverend James to South African withdrawal from Kauluma, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Namibia . Bishop Kauluma is the first Namibia — the removal of Cuban troops Namibian to hold this position, to which he was elected following the resignation of from Angola, an independent country Colin O'Brien Winter in 1981 . (see Dateline :Namibia No. 2) The following is north of Namibia that South Africa daily excerpted from that interview with this eloquent and forthright leader of the Anglican invades with its troops and mercenaries.
  • RUMOURS of RAIN: NAMIBIA's POST-INDEPENDENCE EXPERIENCE Andre Du Pisani

    RUMOURS of RAIN: NAMIBIA's POST-INDEPENDENCE EXPERIENCE Andre Du Pisani

    SOUTHERN AFRICAN ISSUES RUMOURS OF RAIN: NAMIBIA'S POST-INDEPENDENCE EXPERIENCE Andre du Pisani THE .^-y^Vr^w DIE SOUTH AFRICAN i^W*nVv\\ SUID AFRIKAANSE INSTITUTE OF f I \V\tf)) }) INSTITUUT VAN INTERNATIONAL ^^J£g^ INTERNASIONALE AFFAIRS ^*^~~ AANGELEENTHEDE SOUTHERN AFRICAN ISSUES NO 3 RUMOURS OF RAIN: NAMIBIA'S POST-INDEPENDENCE EXPERIENCE Andre du Pisani ISBN NO.: 0-908371-88-8 February 1991 Toe South African Institute of International Affairs Jan Smuts House P.O. Box 31596 Braamfontein 2017 Johannesburg South Africa CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 1 POUTICS IN AFRICA'S NEWEST STATE 2 National Reconciliation 2 Nation Building 4 Labour in Namibia 6 Education 8 The Local State 8 The Judiciary 9 Broadcasting 10 THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC REALM - AN UNBALANCED INHERITANCE 12 Mining 18 Energy 19 Construction 19 Fisheries 20 Agriculture and Land 22 Foreign Exchange 23 FOREIGN RELATIONS - NAMIBIA AND THE WORLD 24 CONCLUSIONS 35 REFERENCES 38 BIBLIOGRAPHY 40 ANNEXURES I - 5 and MAP 44 INTRODUCTION Namibia's accession to independence on 21 March 1990 was an uplifting event, not only for the people of that country, but for the Southern African region as a whole. Independence brought to an end one of the most intractable and wasteful conflicts in the region. With independence, the people of Namibia not only gained political freedom, but set out on the challenging task of building a nation and defining their relations with the world. From the perspective of mediation, the role of the international community in bringing about Namibia's independence in general, and that of the United Nations in particular, was of a deep structural nature.
  • Cycle of Prayer A4

    Cycle of Prayer A4

    all members of our Anglican Communion 28 th - Thursday - Melangell (6th c.), Abbess throughout the world. For the Archbishop of Canterbury, - Justin Welby, Diocese of Navajoland Area Mission (The Episcopal and all primates and bishops Church) - David Bailey, Bishop For members of the Anglican Consultative Council Diocese of Aipo Rongo (Papua New Guinea) - May For the Secretary General, - Dr Josiah Idowu- Nathan Ingen, Bishop 2020 Fearon, Diocese of Ajayi Crowther (Nigeria) - Olugbenga For the staff at the Anglican Communion Office in Oduntan, Bishop London and the UN offices in Geneva and New Give thanks for the people of Penrhos, Detheur York & Sarnau and Holy Trinity church, Penrhos In our diocese we pray for Gregory, our Bishop;Barry, Archdeacon of Montgomery; Give thanks for our retired clergy and their Pray for care home residents for Pool Mission Area and Steve Willson, Mission Area Leader. much-valued ministry Pool Mission Area can be found in the South East of the Diocese, with Caereinion and Tanat- Vyrnwy MAs to the West; Cedewain MA to the South and the Church of England to the North Pray for those who have been unable to grieve 29 th - Friday and East. Pool’s 16 churches serve communities either side of the A483 trunk road, with the properly for people who have died because of Diocese of Ndokwa (Nigeria) - David Obiosa, market town of Welshpool at its centre. In the North it reaches half way to Oswestry: in the the restrictions on funeral services Bishop South half way to Newtown. We are focused on trying to live out God’s love in the Diocese of Akobo (South Sudan) - John Jock Chol, communities we serve.
  • Pharmacist Assistants Alleviate the Shortage of Pharmacy Staff at Public Health Facilities in Namibia

    Pharmacist Assistants Alleviate the Shortage of Pharmacy Staff at Public Health Facilities in Namibia

    Pharmacist Assistants Alleviate the Shortage of Pharmacy Staff at Public Health Facilities in Namibia “I am very The Omusati region of Namibia has the second-highest HIV prevalence in the country, standing at 17.4%—higher than the national average of 13.1 reported in grateful that I 2013. Decreasing the HIV prevalence and improving pharmaceutical services for had this training antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Omusati—and the country as a whole—is opportunity (EDT therefore a goal of the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS). Training from With funding from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) SIAPS Program) and support of the USAID-funded Systems for Improved Access to as it made my Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) Program several interventions were developed at the national, regional, and health facility levels to improve actual work life treatment for HIV patients. One such intervention was strengthening the scale-up very easy, it was and training of pharmacist assistants (PAs) by the MoHSS National Health like a revision.” Training Centre (NHTC). NHTC has itself seen great success - Ruusa Aron, in recent years. With SIAPS NHTC PA Program assistance, an average of 25 PAs have graduated annually Student at since 2012—a significant increase Oshikuku from the average of eight graduates hospital in in earlier years. SIAPS Program February 2016 helped to provide technical assistance to NHTC to establish a quality management system for the PA training, enhance the skills of From left: Justina Nengushe (Pharmacist the tutors in facilitating, moderating Assistant), Ruusa Aron (NHTC PA Student and assessing students’ learning, intern), Rauna Silvanus (Pharmacist Assistant) establish a skills training laboratory, at the ART Pharmacy in Oshikuku district and orient the students on the use of hospital, Omusati Region, Namibia.
  • Mayor Muesee Kazapua Also Said Yesterday That Madikizela-Mandela Deserves a Street to Be Named After Her

    Mayor Muesee Kazapua Also Said Yesterday That Madikizela-Mandela Deserves a Street to Be Named After Her

    11111 Media Monitoring on Urban Development in Namibia Media Monitoring on Urban Development in Namibia is a service provided by Development Workshop Namibia (DWN), a Namibian NGO with a focus on sustainable urban development and poverty reduction. DWN is part of a world-wide network of Development Workshop (DW) organisations with centres in Canada, Angola and France, and offices in Vietnam and Burkino Faso. It was founded in the 1970s by three architect students in the UK and has been funded by non- governmental organisations, private citizens, and national and international development organisations. In Namibia, DWN’s activities focus on urban related research, effective urban planning for the urban poor, solutions to informal settlements, water & sanitation, and projects specifically targeting disadvantaged segments of the urban youth. Through 40 years of engagement on urban issues mainly in Africa and Asia, the DW network of organisations has acquired significant institutional knowledge and capacity and is well integrated in regional and international networks. The Namibian media provide an important source of information on urban development processes in the country, highlighting current events, opportunities and challenges. The media further provide insight into the different views and perceptions of a variety of actors, be it from government, non- government, private sector, and individuals that reside in Namibia’s towns and settlements. It is therefore hoped that DWN’s Media Monitoring service will provide insights into those different views, with potential use for a variety of institutions and decision-makers that work in the urban environment in Namibia. The Media Monitoring service is currently provided on a monthly basis and monitors the following newspapers: The Namibian, Republikein, Namibian Sun, New Era, Windhoek Observer, Confidente, and Informante.
  • The Contribution of the Resettlement Programme on Sustainable

    The Contribution of the Resettlement Programme on Sustainable

    THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME ON SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS OF SMALL – SCALE COMMERCIAL FARMERS IN MARIENTAL RURAL CONSTITUENCY OF THE HARDAP REGION, NAMIBIA A THESIS SUBMITED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF EDUCATION (ADULT EDUCATION) OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NAMIBIA BY JEFTA VATUNA NGAVETENE 2001 00 580 OCTOBER 2019 SUPERVISOR: DR M. HAMUNYELA I ABSTRACT At independence, Namibia was confronted with a skewed land tenure system where the minority owned vast productive land (Juach et al., 2013). To avoid losing land to dominant locals and rich occupants the government established the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement to be responsible for the process of land reform and resettlement. As a result, the resettlement programme was established to assist in addressing social injustices and to improve the lives of those who are encircled by poverty. A resettlement programme is a developmental approach aimed at the alleviation of poverty and to uplift people’s livelihoods. This study investigated the contribution of Land Reform and Resettlement Programme (LRRP) on sustainable livelihoods of small-scale livestock commercial farmers in the Mariental Rural Constituency of Hardap Region. The study used a case study design of the qualitative approach to capture the reality of the small-scale livestock commercial farmers’ lived experiences of and thoughts about the resettlement programme, its intended purpose and benefits to them. The study revealed that the programme beneficiaries have managed to accumulate assets they did not have before they were resettled. The researcher assessed the lives of resettled farmers and remarkable improvement was observed and tangible assets were evident.
  • Local Authority Elections Results and Allocation of Seats

    Local Authority Elections Results and Allocation of Seats

    1 Electoral Commission of Namibia 2020 Local Authority Elections Results and Allocation of Seats Votes recorded per Seats Allocation per Region Local authority area Valid votes Political Party or Organisation Party/Association Party/Association Independent Patriots for Change 283 1 Landless Peoples Movement 745 3 Aranos 1622 Popular Democratic Movement 90 1 Rally for Democracy and Progress 31 0 SWANU of Namibia 8 0 SWAPO Party of Namibia 465 2 Independent Patriots for Change 38 0 Landless Peoples Movement 514 3 Gibeon 1032 Popular Democratic Movement 47 0 SWAPO Party of Namibia 433 2 Independent Patriots for Change 108 1 Landless People Movement 347 3 Gochas 667 Popular Democratic Movement 65 0 SWAPO Party of Namibia 147 1 Independent Patriots for Change 97 1 Landless peoples Movement 312 2 Kalkrand 698 Popular Democratic Movement 21 0 Hardap Rally for Democracy and Progress 34 0 SWAPO Party of Namibia 234 2 All People’s Party 16 0 Independent Patriots for Change 40 0 Maltahöhe 1103 Landless people Movement 685 3 Popular Democratic Movement 32 0 SWAPO Party of Namibia 330 2 *Results for the following Local Authorities are under review and will be released as soon as this process has been completed: Aroab, Koës, Stampriet, Otavi, Okakarara, Katima Mulilo Hardap 2 Independent Patriots for Change 180 1 Landless Peoples Movement 1726 4 Mariental 2954 Popular Democratic Movement 83 0 Republican Party of Namibia 59 0 SWAPO Party of Namibia 906 2 Independent Patriots for Change 320 0 Landless Peoples Movement 2468 2 Rehoboth Independent Town
  • Negotiating Meaning and Change in Space and Material Culture: An

    Negotiating Meaning and Change in Space and Material Culture: An

    NEGOTIATING MEANING AND CHANGE IN SPACE AND MATERIAL CULTURE An ethno-archaeological study among semi-nomadic Himba and Herera herders in north-western Namibia By Margaret Jacobsohn Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town July 1995 The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgement of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Published by the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. Figure 1.1. An increasingly common sight in Opuwo, Kunene region. A well known postcard by Namibian photographer TONY PUPKEWITZ ,--------------------------------------·---·------------~ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Ideas in this thesis originated in numerous stimulating discussions in the 1980s with colleagues in and out of my field: In particular, I thank my supervisor, Andrew B. Smith, Martin Hall, John Parkington, Royden Yates, Lita Webley, Yvonne Brink and Megan Biesele. Many people helped me in various ways during my years of being a nomad in Namibia: These include Molly Green of Cape Town, Rod and Val Lichtman and the Le Roux family of Windhoek. Special thanks are due to my two translators, Shorty Kasaona, and the late Kaupiti Tjipomba, and to Garth Owen-Smith, who shared with me the good and the bad, as well as his deep knowledge of Kunene and its people. Without these three Namibians, there would be no thesis. Field assistance was given by Tina Coombes and Denny Smith.
  • Republic of Namibia State of the Region Address Hardap Region 28 July 2021, Mariental

    Republic of Namibia State of the Region Address Hardap Region 28 July 2021, Mariental

    Republic of Namibia State of the Region Address Hardap Region 28 July 2021, Mariental The Governor HONOURABLE REVEREND SALOMON MENTHOS APRIL 1 Honorable Dausab, Chairperson of Hardap Regional Council Honorable Regional Councilors present Your Worship Kuhlmann, the Mayor of Mariental Municipality and All Local Authority Councilors present The Acting Chief Regional Officer All management cadres and representatives from all Line Ministries The Acting Regional Commander of the Namibian Police Officer in Charge of Hardap Correctional facilities Chief Executive Officers of All Local Authorities Distinguished Traditional Leaders Inhabitants of the Great Hardap Region Members of the Media Viewers and listeners on different media platforms Ladies and Gentlemen Honourable Chairperson, I would like to thank you for convening a Special Session of Council to allow us to execute the mandate entrusted upon us by Article 110A subsection (5) and (6) of the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia, to present a State of the Region Address (SoRA). In this report, I will present the following aspects crosscutting all sectors: Effective governance through improved community-based planning, tourism, agriculture, education, health, safety and security, gender and housing In order to promote Effective governance through Community Based Planning I held a meeting in May 2020, with the Constituency Councillors and the Local Authorities, to review annual budgets and development plans. A key outcome was that we need to pro-actively set long term development targets. 2 Similarly, external resource mobilisation, Public-Private-Partnership and revenue collection should be enhanced in good faith to improve livelihood of our fellow citizens. It was also emphasised that the needs and opportunities identified at local authority and constituency level, must inform the overall strategic plan of the Hardap Regional Council, in order to ensure bottom-up participatory planning.
  • People, Cattle and Land - Transformations of Pastoral Society

    People, Cattle and Land - Transformations of Pastoral Society

    People, Cattle and Land - Transformations of Pastoral Society Michael Bollig and Jan-Bart Gewald Everybody living in Namibia, travelling to the country or working in it has an idea as to who the Herero are. In Germany, where most of this book has been compiled and edited, the Herero have entered the public lore of German colonialism alongside the East African askari of German imperial songs. However, what is remembered about the Herero is the alleged racial pride and conservatism of the Herero, cherished in the mythico-histories of the German colonial experiment, but not the atrocities committed by German forces against Herero in a vicious genocidal war. Notions of Herero, their tradition and their identity abound. These are solid and ostensibly more homogeneous than visions of other groups. No travel guide without photographs of Herero women displaying their out-of-time victorian dresses and Herero men wearing highly decorated uniforms and proudly riding their horses at parades. These images leave little doubt that Herero identity can be captured in photography, in contrast to other population groups in Namibia. Without a doubt, the sight of massed ranks of marching Herero men and women dressed in scarlet and khaki, make for excellent photographic opportunities. Indeed, the populär image of the Herero at present appears to depend entirely upon these impressive displays. Yet obviously there is more to the Herero than mere picture post-cards. Herero have not been passive targets of colonial and present-day global image- creators. They contributed actively to the formulation of these images and have played on them in order to achieve political aims and create internal conformity and cohesion.
  • Tells It All 1 CELEBRATING 25 YEARS of DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS

    Tells It All 1 CELEBRATING 25 YEARS of DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS

    1989 - 2014 1989 - 2014 tells it all 1 CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS Just over 25 years ago, Namibians went to the polls Elections are an essential element of democracy, but for the country’s first democratic elections which do not guarantee democracy. In this commemorative were held from 7 to 11 November 1989 in terms of publication, Celebrating 25 years of Democratic United Nations Security Council Resolution 435. Elections, the focus is not only on the elections held in The Constituent Assembly held its first session Namibia since 1989, but we also take an in-depth look a week after the United Nations Special at other democratic processes. Insightful analyses of Representative to Namibia, Martii Athisaari, essential elements of democracy are provided by analysts declared the elections free and fair. The who are regarded as experts on Namibian politics. 72-member Constituent Assembly faced a We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the FOREWORD seemingly impossible task – to draft a constitution European Union (EU), Hanns Seidel Foundation, Konrad for a young democracy within a very short time. However, Adenaur Stiftung (KAS), MTC, Pupkewitz Foundation within just 80 days the constitution was unanimously and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) adopted by the Constituent Assembly and has been for their financial support which has made this hailed internationally as a model constitution. publication possible. Independence followed on 21 March 1990 and a quarter We would also like to thank the contributing writers for of a century later, on 28 November 2014, Namibians their contributions to this publication. We appreciate the went to the polls for the 5th time since independence to time and effort they have taken! exercise their democratic right – to elect the leaders of their choice.