List of Local Authorities in Namibia
Who is a Local Authority?
Description
Local authority or a government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically localised and has limited powers.
Overview of Local Authorities in Namibia
Namibia is a unitary democratic republic with three spheres of government: national, regional, and local. Regional and local government are enshrined in Chapter 12 of the constitution and the main governing legislation consists of the Local Authorities Act 1992 and the Regional Councils Act 1992.
There are 14 regional councils and 57 unitary local authorities, classified as follows: three ‘Part I’ municipal (city) councils, 15 ‘Part II’ municipal councils, 26 town, and 18 village councils. Both regional councils and local authorities are empowered to levy local taxes. Following the 2015 local elections, 44.2% of councilors were women and in 2014/15, local government expenditure was 44.2% of total government expenditure.
Each local authority must transfer five percent (5%) of its rate income to its regional council. In parallel, the national government provides subsidies to village councils, regional councils and newly established town councils. Regional councils do not generally provide services directly, but local councils’ responsibilities include water and sanitation, waste management, electricity and economic promotion.
List of Local Authorities in Namibia
Here are some list of local authorities in Namibia;
Association for Local Authorities in Namibia (ALAN)
Retirement Fund for Local Authorities anx Utility Service in Namibia
Engineering Council of Namibia
National Youth Council of Namibia
Natis Road Authorities
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Below are questions related to local authorities in Namibia and beyond;
What does local authority?
A local authority is an organization that is officially responsible for all the public services and facilities in a particular area.
What is local government in simple words?
Local government is defined as the people who have the authority to make decisions or pass laws in a small geographic area near to them. An example of local government is the town council.
What is the difference between local government and local authority?
Local government touches the lives of everybody, every day. Local government is responsible for a range of vital services for people and businesses in defined areas.
Local councils, which are the most common type of local authority, are made up of councillors who are elected by the public in local elections.
How local government are chosen in Namibia?
Regional and local governments have similar structures, set by the Namibian Constitution. There must be a council made up of representatives elected by the residents of the region or the local authority. The council will elect one of its members as chairperson, to preside over the council meetings.
How many local authorities are in Namibia?
Local government within the state Namibia is divided into 14 regional councils and 57 unitary local authorities comprise 13 municipal councils, 26 town, and 18 village councils.
What are the 4 types of local government?
There are four main types of local government- counties, municipalities (cities and town), special districts, and school districts
What type of company is a local authority?
Local authorities are public bodies and as such, they are governed by rules not faced by businesses wholly in the private sector. When a local authority-owned company is set up, the parent authority will need to navigate and be aware of potential elephant traps such as state aid infringement.
What is the function of a local authority in Namibia?
Local authorities are multi-purpose bodies responsible for delivering a broad range of services in relation to roads; traffic; planning; housing; economic and community development; environment, recreation and amenity services; fire services and maintaining the register of electors.
What is the Local Authority Act in Namibia?
Local Government Act (with its variations) is a stock short title used for legislation relating to local government. The Bill for an Act with this short title may have been known as a Local Government Bill during its passage through Parliament.
What are the forms of local government?
Types of Local Governments
- Municipalities.
- Regional Municipalities.
- Rural Communities (RC)
- Local Service Districts (LSD)
How do I become a mayor of Namibia?
Namibian law does not allow the public to directly elect a mayor. An independent candidate or a candidate who stands on a ticket of a registered organisation, would need to be elected by fellow city councillors to become mayor of a region.
What qualifies as a local connection in Namibia?
The council usually looks at whether you have a ‘local connection’ to the area. This means you have links based on: living or working in the area. close family in the area.
What is local government example in Namibia?
Local government is the public administration of towns, cities, counties and districts. Local government includes both county and municipal government structures. Municipal government is the public administration of a township, village, borough, city or town.