Abstract
This paper argues that as policy‐thinking on rural development in Namibia has emerged, there has been a tendency to draw on a particular, somewhat distorted, history of the countryside. More accurate analyses of different localities are being generated by Namibianist historians, but such research ought to be located not only within a country framework, but also within a comparative history of Namibia and her southern African neighbours. In initiating this latter task, the paper uses the issues raised in Beinart's paper ‘Soil Erosion, Conservationism and Ideas about Development’, Journal of Southern African Studies (1984) to begin comparing Rhodesia, South Africa and Namibia. It suggests a number of questions for historical research relating to the nature and strategy of the Namibian colonial state and highlights some aspects of the experience of rural people in Namibia which contrast sharply with Rhodesia and South Africa.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
