The charcoal industry is a fairly new industry in Namibia, being an innovative by-product of clearing invader bush. The industry grew significantly in the 2001–2010 period, and has now become an important economic sector. Its development as a…
At independence, apartheid policy was abolished and the new Constitution introduced the right of all Namibians to reside and settle in any part of the country. This provoked a dramatic increase of informal settlement in Windhoek, mostly around…
Namibia is home to between 30 000 and 33 000 San, who comprise less than 2% of the national population. As a language group they are conspicuously disadvantaged vis-à-vis all other language groups in Namibia on almost every available socio-economic…
This study on the San of Namibia has again brought to light the need for a more broad-based approach involving all stakeholders, through participatory democracy, a legal framework for the recognition and enforcement of the rights of indigenous and…
1. Overview: Gender and Sexuality in Namibia Suzanne LaFont ........................................................................................1 History: Colonialism, Christianity and Tradition
In 1990, Namibia emerged from colonial rule with a skewed distribution of agricultural land and high levels of poverty. The new government led by SWAPO Party initiated a process to address the land question within the first few months of…
In 1990, Namibia emerged from colonial rule with a skewed distribution of agricultural land and high levels of poverty. The new government led by SWAPO Party initiated a process to address the land question within the first few months of…
Two issues have been at the forefront of public discourse regarding commercial sex work in Namibia: HIV/AIDS and legal reform. Although there has been significant legal reform in other areas, the Combating of Immoral Practices Act (No. 21 of 1980)…
Firstly, while the land reform issue in Namibia is driven by the domination of primarily white-owned commercial farms in the centre of the country, almost half of the land in Namibia is communally owned, not privately owned. Virtually all authorities…
Large scale land acquisitions by foreign investors in Africa for agricultural purposes continue to capture attention worldwide. In recent years Namibia has received some proposals from multi-national agricultural corporations to develop large scale…
1. GENERAL APPROACH: We recommend that Namibia’s approach to inheritance should be to retain a dual system which incorporates the positive aspects of customary law whilst at the same time ensuring respect for all constitutional rights. As a practical…
Alcohol abuse is widely acknowledged to be a huge problem in Namibia, and there is a wide range of opinion on how best to address the problem. The topic is a broad one. This paper focuses on suggestions for strengthening provisions concerning alcohol…
Advocacy in Action is a 336-page manual designed primarily for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and grassroots-based groups who are interested in increasing their advocacy skills. It contains concrete, practical information about advocacy…
The study analyses why and how the Ovambo women in northern Namibia participated in the struggle which led to the independent Namibia. The study also examines the changes in women's lives caused by the arrival of Christianity, colonialism, the cash…
Since the establishment in 1962 of the Scandinavian Institute of African Studies, it has followed events in Southern Africa and has been active in disseminating information about the region through seminars and publications. In 1981 the situation in…
What is the role of international development assistance in a newly independent country such as Namibia? The two studies in this report give some inputs to the discussion on the benefits and problems of aid. One focuses on macro-economics, resource…
The 1990s completed a process of transition in Namibia and South Africa that brought formal decolonisation in Africa to an end. These two contributions review some aspects of the transformation and complement each other. They take stock of the…
This volume completes the research project on "Liberation and Democracy in Southern Africa" (LiDeSA). It mainly addresses socioeconomic and gender-related issues in contemporary Namibia. Most of the contributors are either Namibian, based in Namibia…