Böcker av Ndeyapo Nickanor

This is the first research report to examine the nature and drivers of food insecurity in the northern Namibian towns of Oshakati, Ongwediva, and Ondangwa. As well as forming part of a new body of research on secondary urbanization and food security in Africa, the report makes systematic comparisons between the food security situation in this urban corridor and the much larger capital city of Windhoek. A major characteristic of urbanization in Namibia is the perpetuation of rural-urban linkages through informal rural-to-urban food remittances. This survey found that 55% of households in the three towns receive food from relatives in rural areas. Urban households also farm in nearby rural areas and incorporate that agricultural produce into their diets. The survey showed that over 90% of households in the three towns patronize supermarkets, which is a figure far higher than for any other food source. Overall, food security is better in Namibia's northern towns than in Windhoek, where levels of food insecurity are particularly high. However, just because the food insecurity situation is less critical in the north, the majority of households in the urban corridor are not food secure. Like Windhoek, these towns also have considerable income and food security inequality, with households in the informal settlements at greatest risk of chronic food insecurity.

The surprisingly high rate of supermarket patronage in low-income areas of Windhoek, Namibia,s capital and largest city, is at odds with conventional wisdom that supermarkets in African cities are primarily patronized by middle and high-income residents and therefore target their neighbourhoods. What is happening in Namibia and other Southern African countries that make supermarkets so much more accessible to the urban poor? What are they buying at supermarkets and how frequently do they shop there? Further, what is the impact of supermarket expansion on informal food vendors? This report, which presents the findings from the South African Supermarkets in Growing African Cities project research in 2016-2017 in Windhoek, looks at the evidence and tries to answer these questions and others. The research and policy debate on the relationship between the supermarket revo- lution and food security is also discussed. Here, the issues include whether supermarket supply chains and procurement practices miti- gate rural food insecurity through providing new market opportunities for smallholder farmers; the impact of supermarkets on the food security and consumption patterns of residents of African cities; and the relationship between supermarket expansion and governance of the food system, particularly at the local level.

Namibia, like many other countries in the SADC region, is experiencing a major shift in internal and international migration patterns to and from the country. The management of these movements is posing particular challenges and problems. The government ministry responsible for management (the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration (MHAI)) has sole responsibility for implementing and managing migration policy and legislation. The Ministry also manages visa and permanent and temporary residence applications and approves work permits.At the same time, the Ministry provides a range of services for Namibian citizens and other legal residents: the registration of births, deaths and marriages; and the issuing of identity documents, passports and emergency travel documents The MHAI has the unfortunate reputation in Namibia of being one of the most inefficient ministries in the country. a Parliamentary Standing Committee was appointed in 2005 to look into the operation of the Ministry. The investigation has led to numerous actions by the Ministry to try and improve services. These included enhancing accessibility to services by creating mobile teams that were sent throughout the country to rural communities. Waiting times for ID and passport issue were also improved. Other efforts included full implementation of the Immigration Control Act, a fully computerized passport system and the computerization of other services. The MHAI committed itself to constantly reviewing delivery processes and adopting necessary changes, to a policy promoting zero tolerance of corruption and to achieving a reliable and effective human resource management system.The Southern African Migration Project (SAMP), at the request of the Ministry, conducted a systematic survey of the quality of services offered to citizens and non-citizens (the Services Quality Survey or SQS). The main objectives of the SQS were to compare the opinions of officials about the level and quality of services with those of the clients receiving these services; to identify the type of problems and delays that occur in the delivery of services in Namibia and why they occur; to determine the extent to which the level and quality of services provided meet the expectations of clients; and to develop a set of recommendations to improve the level and quality of service delivery. The project itself was an independently-funded and objective survey, and its findings are presented in this volume.