Patience Makwele
Republican Party member of parliament (MP) Mathias Mbundu has proposed a N$10 million relief fund for kapana vendors and informal meat traders whose livelihoods have been affected by the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak.
Mbundu made the proposal in the National Assembly on Wednesday during debate on the 2026/27 mid-year budget review, asking finance minister Ericah Shafudah to consider a once-off fund to help traders struggling with meat supply disruptions and the cost of obtaining alternative supplies.
He said the restrictions needed to contain the disease were affecting more than livestock farmers and commercial abattoirs, with small-scale traders also facing immediate financial losses.
“For many of these traders, their businesses are their only source of income. They depend on daily sales to buy food, pay rent, support their children and meet other basic household needs,” Mbundu said.
He proposed that the ministry of finance work with relevant ministries and local authorities to assess the impact on traders, determine appropriate grant amounts and establish a transparent application process.
The proposed assistance would help eligible traders meet essential business and household expenses while avoiding duplication with other support programmes.
Mbundu urged the minister to consider the fund under the current budget adjustments or identify another funding mechanism.
“However, the burden of those measures should not fall disproportionately on small-scale traders who have limited capacity to absorb sudden financial shocks,” he said.
The proposal formed part of a wider debate in which MPs raised concerns about the cost of living, unemployment, development spending and the accountability of public institutions.
Affirmative Repositioning MP George Kambala questioned whether the amended budget would translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives, pointing to the gap between ministries’ funding requests and the additional allocations provided.
Government offices had requested N$13.1 billion in additional funding, while the amendment provided N$700 million, according to Kambala.
He also questioned the development budget execution rate of 42% recorded at the end of September, warning that delays in implementing projects could have consequences for contractors, workers and communities awaiting services.
“Development execution stands at 42 percent at mid-year, where projects are already delayed, further cuts can leave contractors unpaid, workers without wages and communities waiting even longer for services,” he said.
Kambala further called for a forensic audit of the Public Service Employees Medical Aid Scheme (PSEMAS), following a proposed additional allocation of N$535 million to the scheme under Vote 09: Finance.
He said public servants deserved reliable medical care but argued that additional funding should be accompanied by stronger financial controls and transparent claims management.
“I therefore call for the Auditor General to conduct a forensic audit of PSEMAS and for its findings to be tabled before this House,” he said.
SWAPO MP Willem Amutenya also called for an independent investigation into PSEMAS, including its expenditure patterns, claims management, administration and relationships with contracted healthcare providers.
Amutenya linked the pressure on public finances to the difficulties households were experiencing as the cost of basic necessities continued to weigh on salaries.
“People are working, but they are still struggling to afford a decent standard of living,” he said.
He raised concerns about the growing reliance on micro-lenders, including unregistered operators, saying some salaried workers were borrowing to meet basic expenses or repay existing debts.
He called for stronger consumer protection, effective oversight of micro-lenders and action against unlawful lending practices.
He also urged the government to improve access to financial counselling and mental health support for people experiencing severe financial distress.
Amutenya raised a separate concern about water shortages in the Omuthiya Gwiipundi Constituency in the Oshikoto region, saying more than 40 000 inhabitants had reportedly lacked reliable access to water since July.
He said residents in villages including Iindongo yaKeelu, Oniiyagaya, Okatope kOmulayi, Omutsegonime and Okashana Kambambi were relying on traditional wells that were drying up.
Amutenya called for emergency water supplies and accelerated borehole drilling, alongside longer-term interventions to address shortages affecting households, schools and livestock farmers.
On agricultural support, he welcomed the mobilisation of N$179 million towards FMD containment but said the funding needed to translate into effective veterinary services, stronger disease surveillance and support for affected farmers.
MP Marta Itope also called for better monitoring of public spending, saying the 42% development budget execution rate highlighted the need for improved planning and faster implementation.
Itope welcomed the N$140 million allocation for basic sports facilities and urged the Namibia Standards Institution to urgently develop standards for alternative building materials, including prefabricated houses, to support affordable housing.
She also called for fair access to business funding and skills development for women, particularly unemployed young women, and said the results of empowerment programmes needed to be measured.
“The budget must be implemented fairly and transparently, with proper monitoring of how public funds are used,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ephraim Nekongo defended the government’s fiscal approach, pointing to allocations for education, healthcare, agriculture and youth development as evidence of efforts to sustain economic activity and public services.
He cited N$40 million mobilised for grain reserves, N$179 million for FMD containment and N$317 million for the National Youth Development Fund.
Nekongo urged MPs to support the amendment, saying the government was responding to economic challenges while continuing to implement national development priorities.
National Democratic Party (NDP) MP Martin Lukato, however, questioned whether the budget framework was doing enough to address unemployment and poverty, calling for greater investment in job-creating sectors and improved monitoring of government expenditure.
He also argued that public spending should be assessed by its outcomes, rather than expenditure alone.
The contributions came as parliament debated adjustments to the 2026/27 budget, with members raising competing demands for immediate relief, improved services and tighter oversight of public funds.
