THE PARADOX OF DECENTRALIZATION IN NAMIBIA By Hoze Riruako B.A.Pre-Law, Marshall University, U.S.A., 1989 M.P.A., Marshall University, U.S.A., 1990 PGD, Maastricht School of Management, 1994 Supervisor: Prof. Chisepo J. J. Mphaisha A dissertation submitted to the School of Government, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, University of the Western Cape, in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration 2007 Dedication I dedicate this dissertation to a number of individuals who played an immeasurable role in my life and to whom I am deeply indebted. The first person is my mother, Claudia Kaikike Riruako, who died of cancer a few semesters before I could complete my first degree. She instilled in me a sense of appreciation at an early age, one that I will cherish for the rest of my life. With the little that we had, she made us feel as if we had a lot. My mother was a proud person and she made me proud as well. Had she been alive today, I am certain that she would have been even prouder of this son’s accomplishments. My grandmother, Renathe Mbeiti Riruako, has been a source of inspiration to me. Her passing away in early 2003 left me feeling empty. Her cooking for the late Reverend Michail Scott during the drafting of a petition by her brother, Chief Hosea Kutako, is a small gesture for some, but one with great meaning for her, so much so that she cherished it until her death as her humble contribution to the liberation struggle. My father, Daniel Kazekondjo, an educated man himself, installed an appreciation of the value of education in me from an early age. I always looked up to him as my role model. While pursuing his teaching career is South Africa he shared his school years with some of those who were to shape the future of politics in Namibia, such as the founding Deputy Prime Minister, Reverend Hendrick Witbooi. After completing his studies he played a pivotal role in the formation of SWAPO, often meeting with party stalwarts such as Namibia’s Father of the Nation and founding President, Dr. Sam Nujoma, and the Founding Vice-Chancellor of the University of Namibia, Professor Peter H. Katjavivi to mention just two. However, his passing away in mid-2003 also robbed me of an opportunity to make him proud once ii more of his son’s accomplishments by successfully completing my doctoral studies. My nephew, Betuel Ngeama, would have been equally proud of my accomplishment had he not died in a tragic accident during the later part of the same year. I also dedicate this work to the only surviving member of my family who contributed by moulding me into who I am today, namely Chief Kuaima Riruako, President of the National Unity Democratic Organization (NUDO). He contributed immensely to my early education through financial assistance and encouragement. His efforts enabled me to go to the United States of America to further my studies. The other person who deserves a wealth of appreciation and to whom I dedicate this work is my grandfather, Amon Ukorua Kaamakaa Riruako who recently passed away at the age of ninety-seven years. Had it not been for a slight delay in the completion of my studies as a result of technical problems this is the one person that I wanted at my side during my graduation ceremony. I promised him that, but God willing, it was not to be. Whatever happened will never dim my spirit and my strong resolve to complete this work, as I owe the completion of it to him. My late grandfather was the only surviving member of the inner cycle of the group of people who worked closely with my late uncle, Chief Hosea Komombumbi Kutako. I am glad that I participated in his burial. I cannot help but to reiterate the words that I said at his funeral: “Tate Kaamakaa resented all forms of oppression such as the German and South African occupation, and the old locations' forced removal to mention just a few. It is through this commitment that he risked his life along with the late Katjikuru Katjiuongua, Kambanderu Kandjou, and iii other, too numerous to mention here, who have served in the inner circle of those who drafted and helped to smuggle the famous Chief Hosea Kutako’s petition to the UN.” Until his death this year he was the only surviving member of the group of people who moved the late Reverend Michael Scott from house to house to avoid capture, while awaiting the completion of the drafting of the petition which Michael Scott took to the League of Nations, the predecessor to the United Nations. At my grand father’s funeral, the SWAPO representative, Hon. Ben Amadhilla, said and I quote, “your father should be remembered for the heroic/historic deed during the dark days of our liberation struggle. With his death he now joins the ranks of those heroes and heroines that you will never find in the history books, but who contributed immensely to our independence.” I thank the good Lord and the spirit of my ancestors that he waited for me to arrive and to pray for him before he took his last breath. The fact that I physically had to carry his body, as he carried me as a child, gave me great comfort. Finally, I dedicate this work to my wife, Belinda Kariraere Riruako, for her inspiration and encouragement throughout my doctoral studies. iv Declaration I hereby declare that this is my own unaided work. It is being submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration in the School of Government, at the University of the Western Cape. I further testify that it has not been submitted for any other degree or to any other institution of higher learning. Hoze Riruako Date…………………………. v Acknowledgement I would like to thank the following persons with gratitude and appreciation: Mr. Henry Hesse, a former member of Literacy Volunteers of America, who helped me to master the command of English before I entered Marshall University in the United States of America during the Fall of 1985 to commence my undergraduate studies. No words will be enough to praise Prof. Clair Matz, professor of International Relations at Marshall University, for assisting me and lending me a helping hand during a very daunting time in my life when my mother passed away in 1989. It is with equal great appreciation that I acknowledge the contribution to my life of Dr. Betty Jane Cleckly, the Vice-President for Multi-Cultural Affairs and International Programmes at Marshall University. She encouraged me to work hard and to aspire for greater achievements. As her assistant, I am glad she had pushed me so hard, because this has made me a very determined person today. I would also like to acknowledge Prof. Peter H. Katjavivi, the founding Vice-Chancellor of the University of Namibia, now the Namibian Ambassador to the European Union, for not only encouraging me to further my studies, but also for finding funding to enable me to pursue my doctoral studies at the University of the Western Cape. I want to say thank you for opening so many doors for me and for giving me such wide-ranging experiences. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to have work closely with you and for supporting me through thick and thin. vi Let me also use this opportunity to thank Dr. Anthony Barclay of ACBF for the advice and continuous assistance in securing funding for my studies. You are an honest man may the good Lord bless you. Last but not the least I would like to acknowledge the contribution of my supervisor, Prof. Chisepo J. J. Mphaisha, to this dissertation. He was my hope and inspiration during times of despair. He gave me direction when I appeared to be drifting academically. I just want to tell him that I really appreciated the time and effort that he invested in helping me, God bless you. vii Abstract It is the purpose of this study to demonstrate that the government of Namibia has been seeking to adopt structures and procedures that will contribute to the realization of general national development. Decentralisation in any country takes place in a political context and its implementation assumes some political significance, as it is not merely a matter of centralization or decentralization of government functions and procedures, but both centralization and decentralization tendencies exist and reinforce each other in practice. This study argues that the dynamic features of decentralization and its implementation in Namibia have been shaped by central government’s view, through the ministry of regional and local government and housing, of the concept decentralization. The objectives of this study are to provide a critical understanding of the theoretical foundation of the concept decentralization; to examine the models of decentralization adopted and implemented by Uganda and Zambia with a view to assessing their relevance for Namibia and vice versa; and to investigate and determine the administrative/institutional factors that have played a role in the implementation of the policy on decentralization in Namibia in general, and in the Omaheke, Otjozondjupa and Otjikoto regions in particular. The case-study method was used as it allowed the use of multiple data sources, namely, documentary analysis, personal interviews and observation. Thus, the interactions and relations between institutions and various stakeholders regarding the policy of decentralization and its implementation were examined in both primary and secondary viii data.