The main objective of this dissertation was to investigate the role of leadership in water
technology innovations in enhancing job creation in the Kavango East Region. The main
theoretical framework comes from theories on leadership as a key aspect to socio-economic
development. Inclusive in this framework were perspectives of leadership support such as
resources allocation, effective communication and clear vision as the most important qualities
and actions which a leader needs to have in order to use water technology innovations to
enhance job creation.
A mixed method research design in the form of a case study of the Kavango East Region
informed the process of data collection. Data was gathered concerning the distribution of
variables such as the grassroots community’s experience and understanding towards the role
of leadership in water technology innovations to enhance job creation at their villages. Other
imperative variables which support the investigation techniques are gender and the age of the
respondents.
Informed by this investigation and based on the Kavango East Region case study, this
dissertation has arrived at the conclusion that, at present the Kavango East Regional
Leadership is not involved in water technology innovations to enhance job creation in the
rural grassroots communities. The challenge seems to be that Regional Leaders rarely pay
visits to the rural communities to see what the communities are doing and come up with
mechanisms to support them. There is no effective communication between Regional Leaders
and the local community; there is no leader-community relation. Because of this, leaders do
not allocate resources to be used towards water technology innovation projects by the rural
communities. Consequently, the Kavango East Region is the poorest in the country with 53%
of its population living in abject poverty.
Therefore, leadership involvement in water technology innovations is an issue that needs to
be resolved. Informed by these conclusions, this dissertation recommends that Regional
Leaders should live within the constituencies where they are elected to serve. There should be
a minimum number of villages to be visited by Regional Leaders every year and there must
be a performance agreement for Regional Leaders which will be used as a tool to hold them
accountable.