Chiefs, customs and the cost of standing still

Namibia’s debate over communal land reform has once again exposed a difficult but unavoidable national truth: too many of our institutions remain trapped between the demands of modern governance and the comfort of inherited tradition. The recent warnings by traditional leaders in Kavango East and Kavango West that government-led communal land reforms threaten ancestral land and weaken customary authority deserve to be heard respectfully. Yet respect for tradition cannot become an excuse for resisting progress, accountability and economic transformation.

The country must confront an uncomfortable question. Are some customary systems still serving the people, or are they increasingly serving themselves? For decades, communal land has operated under systems where traditional authorities wield significant influence over allocation, occupation and access.

In principle, customary stewardship was meant to protect communities and preserve shared heritage. In practice, however, many communal areas across Namibia remain trapped in poverty, uncertainty and underdevelopment. The people living on communal land are often unable to use their land productively as an economic asset, unable to secure financing against it, and vulnerable to inconsistent or politically influenced allocation practices.

That reality cannot be ignored simply because it is wrapped in the language of culture and ancestry. The fear that formal registration of communal land could lead to increased land sales and dispossession is not entirely unfounded. Across Africa and elsewhere, poorly managed reforms have sometimes enabled exploitation by elites and commercial interests.