Sostenus Wilherm
Parliament is seeking to strengthen its oversight of the executive branch and improve public confidence in democratic institutions, with parliamentary leaders warning that accountability and effective scrutiny of government remain central to Namibia’s constitutional democracy.
Speaking at the Parliamentary Leadership Retreat in Swakopmund on Monday, National Assembly Speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said parliament must continue evolving to meet the expectations of citizens by strengthening its legislative, representative and oversight functions.
The retreat, attended by presiding officers, chief whips and chairpersons of standing committees from both the National Assembly and National Council, is being held under the theme “Strengthening Parliamentary Leadership for Inclusive Development and Participatory Democracy.”
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said Namibia’s constitutional architecture deliberately separates powers between the executive, legislature and judiciary to ensure accountability, transparency and checks and balances in government.
She noted that while the executive is responsible for governing the country, parliament carries the constitutional responsibility of passing legislation, approving the national budget and holding the government accountable on behalf of the people.
“The legislature, consisting of the National Assembly and the National Council, holds the legislative power of the Republic, passing our laws, including approving the national budget and holding the executive to account as representative of the people,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said.
She said parliament’s performance is judged by the public through the quality of its representation, law-making and oversight.
The speaker said the current workshop provides an opportunity for parliamentary leaders to reflect on how parliament can better fulfil its constitutional mandate, particularly following the establishment of the 8th Parliament after recent elections.
She said one of the priorities is strengthening coordination between the National Assembly and National Council while ensuring members share a common understanding of parliamentary rules, procedures and oversight responsibilities.
According to Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, standing committees remain among the parliament’s most important oversight instruments because they allow legislators to examine complex issues in detail while engaging directly with citizens during oversight visits.
She said committee outreach enables lawmakers to assess how laws and government policies affect communities and identify shortcomings requiring legislative or administrative intervention.
The Speaker also defended parliament’s culture of consensus, saying Namibia has demonstrated that constructive dialogue can produce agreement even on issues of national significance.
She pointed out that parliament has never voted on a national budget, while both the constitution and previous constitutional amendments were adopted through consensus rather than division, illustrating that meaningful debate remains the foundation of democratic decision-making.
Supporting the speaker’s call for a stronger parliament, National Council chairperson Lukas Sinimbo Muha said parliamentary oversight must produce tangible results rather than becoming a procedural exercise.
Muha argued that parliament should move beyond simply receiving reports and questioning ministers by ensuring recommendations adopted by parliament are implemented by the executive.
He warned that oversight loses its effectiveness when committees repeatedly identify governance failures without securing corrective action.
“Accountability… must include amendatory accountability, whereby committees carry the obligation to remedy policy or administrative failures and reform the system. Without amendatory accountability, committees risk repeating recommendations without consequence or impact,” Muha said.
He described standing committees as the “engine rooms” of parliament, saying they play a critical role in scrutinising public expenditure, reviewing government performance and examining whether ministries are delivering on national priorities.
Muha also called for rule-based mechanisms that would require parliament to monitor whether the executive complies with recommendations adopted by the house, arguing that parliamentary resolutions should lead to measurable action rather than remaining recommendations on paper.
He further cautioned that parliament faces growing challenges as policy discussions increasingly move outside parliamentary chambers and public confidence in democratic institutions comes under pressure.
According to Muha, strengthening parliamentary accountability will require closer cooperation between the National Assembly and National Council, greater use of technology to improve citizen participation and continuous investment in institutional capacity.
The leadership retreat, which continues throughout the week, will examine parliamentary rules, constitutional responsibilities, committee oversight and coordination between the two Houses as lawmakers seek to strengthen parliament’s effectiveness in promoting accountable governance and inclusive participatory democracy.
