Goverment
Namibia formed its own government which is a republican form of government after the country achieved its independence in 1990. The structure of Namibia government is three-fold. The government has three divisions, the Executive branch, the Legislative branch and the judicial branch. Each of these sections of the Namibia government has different functions and responsibilities.
The president of Namibia who is the head of the government of Namibia and also the State of Namibia is elected through elections and serves a five year term. The cabinet, made up of the President, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and other ministers whom the president appoints makes and implements various policies.
The laws of the nation are formulated by the principal law making unit, the Parliament, which is the most important part of Legislative branch of the government in Namibia. The parliament is divided into The National Assembly and The National Council.
The judicial branch of Namibian government is empowered with judicial authorities the major component of which is the courts. The courts comprise the Supreme Court, the High courts and the Lower courts.
The Namibia government represents the political structure of the country and is responsible for proper administration of Namibia.
The Namibian head of state is the president, who is elected by popular vote every five years. The government is headed by the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the president, together with his cabinet. SWAPO, the primary force behind independence, has since moved away from its Marxist roots and is currently the country's largest party.
Namibia's bicameral parliament consists of the National Council, which holds 26 seats occupied by two members chosen from each Regional Council to serve six-year terms, and the National Assembly of 78 seats, of which 72 members are elected by popular vote and 6 non-voting members are appointed by the president. All serve five-year terms.
The National Assembly is the primary legislative body, with the National Council playing more of a reviewing role. The 1990 constitution is noted for being one of the first to incorporate protection of the environment into its text. The highest judicial body is the Supreme Court, whose judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission.
The Constituent Assembly of Namibia produced a constitution which established a multi-party system and a bill of rights. It also limited the executive president to two 5-year terms and provided for the private ownership of property. The three branches (Legislature, Executive and the Judicial) of government are subject to checks and balances, and a provision is made for judicial review. The constitution also states that Namibia should have a mixed economy, and foreign investment should be encouraged.
The Decentralisation Act of 2000 provided the framework under which Central Government would decentralise some services such as the provision of water, electricity, sanitation, health and housing. The Act also aims at bringing Government closer to grassroots communities, to ensure their input into development initiatives and decision-making processes that affect them directly.