Traditional leadership of Namibia is a governing structure in Namibia based on the ethnicity of the indigenous people of the territory. Acceptance of a traditional authority is vested in the Government of Namibia, executed by the minister of Urban and Rural Development. There are 51 recognised traditional authorities and a further 40 pending applications.[1]
Traditional authorities cover the entire Namibian territory. For a traditional authority to be recognised by government it must have a sole area of jurisdiction; although virtually all places in Namibia are inhabited by members of different clans and tribes, the area of the settlements are deemed to belong to only one traditional authority. For a traditional leader to be accepted by government, they must be appointed according to the customary law of their clan, without major disputes about their current reign.[2]
Leaders and their administrative staff are not paid by the state. Instead the traditional group's members are expected to sustain their leadership. Government did, however, give one car each to the recognised authorities, and awards allowances for fuel and administrative work. The parallel existence of traditional authorities and the Namibian government in Namibia is controversial.[1] The traditional rulers and leaders are represented through the Council of Traditional Leaders, established by Act 13 of 1997 (GG 1706) and amended by Act 31 of 2000 (GG 2462).[3]
- ^ a b Tjitemisa, Kuzeeko (18 November 2016). "Chiefs cost govt millions". New Era. p. 6. The list of currently recognised traditional authorities only appears in the print version.
- ^ Albertz, Ellen; Muronga, Petrus; Kooper, Lugeretzia; Ndeyanale, Eliaser; Hartmann, Adam (24 January 2024). "Namibia's rejected chiefs". The Namibian. pp. 1–2.
- ^ "Council of Traditional Leaders Act 13 of 1997 as amended by Council of Traditional Leaders Amendment Act 31 of 2000" (PDF). lac.org.na. Government of Namibia. 28 December 2000. Retrieved 27 April 2021.