ABSTRACT

Namibia is inching closer to transferring the power to deliver key government services from the line ministries to the country's 13-elected regional council. While chapter 12 of the post-independence constitution of 1999 envisions a decentralized public sector, the process of implementing decentralisation has been slow to take hold. While political decentralisation was achieved in 1992 with the election of 13 regional councils, only limited progress has been made on the devolution of functional and administrative responsibilities (administration decentralisation) and the devolution of control over physical resources. Namibia's decentralisation implementation strategy envlSlons that function and administrative responsibilities will first be transferred to regional councils during a "delegation phase" before proceeding to "devolution". Under delegation, regional council will gradually be given responsibility for delivering and administrating key public services (such as primary education, basic health services, administration of settlement areas etc). But all budgetary decisions during the delegation phase would continue be made at the central government level. However, the ultimate policy objectives of the government of Namibia are decentralisation by devolution. Under devolution, regional councils would be yielded substantive decision power. As such, under devolution, regional council should be provided with financial resources through equitable efficient and transparent way to allow them to have substantive decision-making role. This study is undertaken to investigate whether regional councils are rendering quality services as stated in the decentralisation enabling Act 33 of2000. As regional councils are sub- national governments, aimed at bringing government closer to the people, this study will try to find out how decision flow from grassroots levels to various structures in the regional council up to central government. According to Mawhood (1993) getting down to grassroots level would stimulate people to build schools, dispensaries, roads, cattle dip and wells that would be welcome improvement in their social welfare.