- Title
- Self-determined development practices for a marginalised San community of Tsumkwe East in Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia
- Creator
- Chingwe, Shuvai
- Subject
- San (African people) -- Namibia San (African people) -- Namibia -- Social conditions
- Subject
- San (African people) -- Namibia -- Politics and government Indigenous peoples -- Namibia
- Date Issued
- 2017
- Date
- 2017
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Doctoral
- Type
- DPhil
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/33239
- Identifier
- vital:32597
- Description
- This study was an exploration of self-determined development practices as a panacea for poverty reduction in the San communities. The main aim of this study was to propose possible strategies for eliminating the marginalisation of San in order to reduce poverty. This study was guided by an Indigenous research paradigm. This study used an Indigenous research methodology because it ensures that research on Indigenous issues is carried out in a more respectful, ethical, correct, sympathetic, useful and beneficial fashion seen from the point of Indigenous people. Nine out of thirty-six villages in Tsumkwe East participated in this study. Data collection was done through key informant interviews and conversational methods namely talking circles and storying. The findings of this study reveal that the marginalisation of the Ju/’hoansi San of Nyae Nyae and other San communities is closely related to their loss of ancestral land during the colonial and post-colonial era. Although the Ju/’hoansi San have fought to maintain their ancestral lands, hunting which is their main livelihood has been restricted by government regulation. The restriction on their hunting and gathering culture has been the major contribution to their marginalisation as they can no longer fend for themselves as their forefathers used to do. Despite a multitude of factors militating against the self-determination of San communities, the Ju/’hoansi San have managed to express their voice through a remnant of their hunting and gathering culture. This study also reveals that there are two important actors in Nyae Nyae namely the government of the Republic of Namibia and the Nyae Nyae Conservancy. Nyae Nyae Conservancy is a community based natural resource management organisation which has taken a participatory developmental approach to the development of Tsumkwe East. The government has taken more of a welfare approach. Although the mainstream has labelled San people lazy, uneducated, backward and uncivilised, the success of the Nyae Nyae Conservancy which is managed by the Ju/’hoansi San is a testimony to the contrary. This study reveals that the government has failed to deliver on its policy of meeting all the welfare needs of the Ju/’hoansi San but the conservancy has risen to be a relevant organisation meeting the needs of the community whilst respecting their culture and identity as a hunting and gathering community. This study concludes that self-determined development practices maybe a panacea for the development of San communities. This can be made possible by supporting the San’s hunting and gathering livelihoods, respecting their culture, securing their land and resource rights, through long-term and consistent capacity building and supporting a culturally relevant education system.
- Format
- xvi, 255 leaves
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Business and Economics Sciences
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela University
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Shuvai Chingwe.pdf | 2 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |