Decentralisation in Namibia: A Case Study of the Erongo Region

This article gives a general understanding of decentralisation focusing on the context in which decentralisation is planned and implemented. A conceptualisation of the ‘African state’ is developed and analysed in order to understand the difficulties in applying a European concept in an African context. A case study of regional planning in the Erongo region is used to illustrate how the decentralisation process in Namibia is influenced by the African state in terms of the pace and direction of decentralisation.