Martin Endjala
National Assembly will be under immense pressure as Namibians anticipate numerous issues to be on the agenda when Parliament resumes today following a break where several oversight visits across the country by various Parliamentary Standing Committees and the race to pass all bills to avoid financial greylisting.
During the oversight visits, issues ranging from the state of health facilities, education, poverty, road infrastructures, Gender-Based Violence, and various water and electricity crises are among many issues anticipated to take centre stage in the August house.
Political Analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah, yesterday said Members of Parliament have set for themselves high expectations following their oversight visits to various regions, through their various Standing Committees to see what is happening and engage communities on issues affecting them, which steered public debate in recent weeks.
“They (Parliamentary Standing Committee members) have listened to community members expressing their needs, now that they are coming back to resume their official duties, people are expecting them to do something as they have really set the expectations high,” said Kamwanyah.
He is of the view that as MPs return, they now need to start formulating plans and putting into action what they have discovered through their consultations to avert some of these challenges and not simply treat it at face value and do nothing.
Landless People’s Movement National Element Youth Leader Duminga Ndala said it is very important that bills that are still pending are finalised and passed to avoid the country from being greylisted by the Financial Task Force which could have negative implications for Namibia.
She stated that although being greylisted is not much of a big issue, it can however lead Namibia not to be in a good light globally and it might take time to get back into good books.
Stressed that it is high time that MPs move away from concentrating on issues that are of not utmost importance to the lives of Namibians and start investing in issues that are affecting their day-to-day lives.
“It is high time that they really put more effort in deliberating on bills that were passed by parliament in a very orderly manner, “she stressed.
Duminga stated that it is high time that the green hydrogen project is brought to parliament to be scrutinized and debated to see how investments can uplift the lives of the youth who are unemployed.
She further stated that there is too much secrecy around the green project and there is a need to unveil the whole secrecy around it, lamenting that people need to know the core of it and how it will empower and improve the livelihood of an ordinary Namibian on the street. Duminga’s other fear is that the Green Hydrogen will be introduced during President Hage Geingob’s last term in office, and the next President might not continue with it.
