Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Titre : An assessment of landlessness and its impact on social and economic development : A case study of the Omaheke in Namibia, 1990 - 2015

Auteur : Ndala, Eric Luine

Université de soutenance  : University of Namibia

Grade : Doctor of Philosophy (PHD) (Public Administration) 2022

Résumé partiel
Landlessness has been both the cause and the manifestation of poverty, insecurity, indebtedness and powerlessness of the majority of rural households in most parts of Africa and Asia. This study was an assessment of the degree of landlessness and its impact on the social and economic development in Namibia with special focus on the Omaheke Region. The study examined the correlation between landlessness and socio-economic improvement of communities by employing a quantitative and qualitative (mixed) methods approach, using interviews, a questionnaire and documentary analysis. A purposive sampling method was used to sample a population size of 140 participants. However, due to other limiting factors beyond the control of the researcher and unavailability of some respondents, the end result for this study was 113 respondents. The sample consisted of resettled beneficiaries of land reform and other rural and urban households in the seven constituencies. This study adopted the historical and political-economic (HPE) framework because it draws particular attention to politics and economics, understood in terms of contestation and bargaining between interest groups with competing claims over rights and resources. Political economy analysis helps to understand what drives political behaviour, how this shapes particular policies and programmes like those of land reform and land redistribution, who are the main winners and losers, and what the implications are for development strategies and programmes. This study concludes that the degree of landlessness has an effect on the standard of living, which, ultimately, affects economic development of a region or country. For Namibia in general, and the Omaheke Region in particular, despite gross inequalities, land remains a major factor of production which supports rural and urban economy.

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