FES-Study 2003 THE SECURITY SECTOR AND THE STATE IN NAMIBIA – AN EXPLORATION Andre du Pisani* 1. Introduction It is now widely acknowledged in the literature that an understanding of the security sector provides important insights into the nature of the state. As social and political constructs, the state and the security sector are intimately connected, both at the operational and at the level of ideas and images. Also, significant dimensions of security, development and governance can be rendered more meaningful if the security sector itself is properly understood. Firmly embedded within the imagery and operations of the state, the security sector and its transformation, has recently emerged as an important area of research. The growing scholarly interest in security sector transformation in different regions of the world has been preceded by a widening of the concept of security. Security is now understood as multidimensional and interdependent, with environmental, social, economic and human security dimensions, among others. While the broadening of the concept of security has validity- if only to emphasise that ultimately the referent for security should be people and not states, and to remind policy-makers of resource allocation priorities – there is also a danger that the vital issues associated with the more traditional security sector will escape scholarly attention. In this context, the security sector is defined as the defence, policing and intelligence functions of the state, and the management of‘threats to and breaches of the peace’ through multilateral and bilateral processes. 1.2 The Security Sector defined Traditionally, as mentioned above, the security sector has been defined to include the armed forces, police and intelligence services, together with their policy and administrative structures 1]. More recently, some analysts have argued that the definition should be expanded to include“civil structures responsible for the management and oversight” of those institutions(Dominick& Oloisakin, 2001). Others would add“judicial and penal systems as well as civil society in general, which also plays a significant role in democratic control”(Chuter, 2002:3). A definition as broad as this touches on wider questions of governance in the broader sense. Chuter(2002:4), however, warns that it tends to blur important distinctions relating to legislative and executive functions of government. It is, however, theoretically more appealing and reminds us that, in many states structures outside formal government do have an influence on the security sector, and that these institutions(notably parliament and civil society actors) need themselves be critically examined(DFID, February 2000). 1] This has been adapted from a typology developed by the project to develop a Security Sector Transformation Handbook for Africa by the Centre for Democracy and Development(Lagos& London), the Centre for International