Bantustan (1968–1980)

Allocation of Land to bantustans according to the Odendaal Plan. Hereroland is in the north-east.

Hereroland was established as a geographically defined bantustan under the Odendaal Plan in 1968.^[1] Because of internal strife among different Herero groups, no unified institutions were established for the Herero people until 1980. Two districts of Hereroland (West and East) were formed in 1970. The chief of Hereroland West, Clemens Kapuuo, claimed to be the paramount chief of all Hereros since 1970, but this claim was not recognized by the other Herero groups. ^[2]

Representative authority (1980–1999)

Following the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference the system of Bantustans was replaced in 1980 by Representative Authorities which functioned on the basis of ethnicity only and were no longer based on geographically defined areas.

The Representative Authority of the Hereros had executive and legislative competencies, being made up of elected Legislative Assemblies which would appoint Executive Committees led by chairmen.

As second-tier authorities, forming an intermediate tier between central and local government, the representative authorities had responsibility for land tenure, agriculture, education up to primary level, teachers' training, health services, and social welfare and pensions and their Legislative Assemblies had the ability to pass legislation known as Ordinances.^[3]

Transition to independence (1989–1990)

Hereroland, like other homelands in South West Africa, was abolished in May 1989 at the start of the transition to independence.