Local Authorities and Traditional Rulers in the Reserves of South West Africa in Middle 20th Century

Abstract

The article is devoted to the participation of the traditional authorities of South-West Africa (Namibia) in the system of local self-government in the middle twentieth century. It is based on materials taken by the author from the Namibian archives and not widely introduced into scientific circulation before. As a result of legislative acts of the Government of South Africa from 1919, 1920 and 1923, new reserves were added to the 6 reserves previously created by the German authorities in South Africa, and as a result, by 1962 there were 24 of them and they made up more than 25 % of its territory. By the 1950s, a system of “native councils” was created in the reserves of the South West Africa. At the head of such councils were white officials. The white official appointed "chiefs" or “elders” who were members of the council. In addition, the council consisted of “no more than six” elected members. In the activities of such councils, an important role was played by persons who had the traditional status of power. In 1962—1963, it was proposed to combine all reserves into 10 homelands by analogy with the bantustans of South Africa. It was also proposed to incorporate representatives of the traditional elite into the administration of homelands when creating Legislative Councils there.