Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Regional and local government in Namibia

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Before gaining independence in 1990, Namibia was ruled by a strong central government. Since independence, both she has decentralized its administrative structure to a large degree, and local authorities have assumed a vital role as providers of services to citizens. Public water services are among the key responsibilities of local authorities. The conditions under which municipalities provide water services is quite different now. In Namibia, only a few of the largest towns operated their own water services before independence, and the rest of the country was taken care of by the centrally managed Department of Water Affairs (Pekka Pietilä 2005 ).

Contents

Independence

When Namibia achieved its independence during March 1990 the country’s public service was inherited by an inexperienced bureaucracy. The running of central and local government affairs was never a matter for local people before independence. The decentralization and transfer of administrative power to the local and regional government officials requires education and skill training on local government matters.

Education

The Namibian College of Open Learning identified the educational gap in the field of local government within the country and introduced the Certificate in Local Government Studies (CLGS) programme. The CLGS is tailor made and aimed at supporting capacity building initiatives of regional councils and local authorities. It also provides opportunities for school leavers who have an interest in a career in regional and local government (Ms Ndeshimona Afunde)

References

Regional and local government in Namibia Wikipedia