Page 21 - SESSION 1 (Graduation e-BOOK)(3 October 2023)

School of Business Management, Governance and Economics
FACULTY OF COMMERCE,
MANAGEMENT AND LAW
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

CANDIDATE: MARENGA Ralph V

CANDIDATE’S DISSERTATION
A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE SCOPE
AND EXPERIENCES OF FACILITATING FOREIGN
DIRECT INVESTMENT AMONG SELECTED LOCAL
AUTHORITIES IN NAMIBIA.
The doctoral study was undertaken and completed under the
supervision of Prof. Lesley Blaauw (University of Namibia) as the Main
Supervisor and Dr. Omu Kakujaha-Matundu (Formerly of the University
of Namibia) as the Co-Supervisor.

The candidate comparatively analysed the scope and experiences
of the Windhoek and Walvis Bay local authorities (LAs) with facilitating
Ramatex Textiles Namibia (RTN) and Namibia Press and Tools (NPT)
as foreign direct investments (FDIs) respectively. The developmental
experiences of the two LAs were respectively negative and neutral
with these FDIs, which contradicts the national development agenda
(Vision 2030 and the National Development Plans) in terms of bottom-
up development using means such as FDI. The study finds that the
scope of LA FDI facilitation functions in both LAs are insufficient for
fostering FDI sustainability for local development. The experience of
the Windhoek LA with RTN is that this FDI violated various by-laws on
pollution, illegally housed employees on factory land and did not
engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Contrastingly,
NPT in the Walvis Bay LA area adheres to by-laws and has not adversely
affected the host LA, despite having no CSR initiatives. Namibia’s neo-
liberal investment environment, the capitalist nature of FDI and the
legal and policy framework for LA FDI facilitation contribute(d) to the
LAs’ developmental experiences with these FDIs respectively.
The study contributes to the multi-level governance (MLG) theory by
looking at MLG policy implementation and coordination dynamics
in a developing state from a sub-national government perspective.
It hence developed a Normative Framework for LA FDI Facilitation in
Namibia, on which several recommendations are based.

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