National Assembly risks becoming ‘kangaroo’ institution without proper funding – Aupindi

Members of parliament say the budget allocation to the National Assembly is inadequate and would cripple the work of the institution tasked to pass laws.

The NA has been allocated N$410.7 million for the 2026/27 financial year, compared to last year’s budget of N$443.2 million.

Of the operational budget, 35% has been allocated to personnel expenditure, 45% to political party funding, and only 1% to development projects, leaving just 19% to sustain core NA activities.

“We are probably going to talk about this until Jesus comes. As long as we don’t have a parliamentary service commission, which this house has been calling for, we risk becoming a kangaroo institution that has no serious capabilities of running the affairs of lawmaking,” Swapo MP Tobie Aupindi said during a budget discussion that extended to Friday.

He said a lack of funding has been crippling the parliament’s work, referring to it as a “bird with clipped wings”.

Aupindi called on minister of finance Ericah Shafudah to address the situation.

Speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the limited budget poses challenges such as reduced public outreach, constraints committee work and capacity needed to execute the work.

National Democratic Party leader Martin Lukato said the budget has turned the NA into a laughing stock for failing to do its work.

Independent Patriots for Change member Nelson Kalangula said capacitation remains a challenge due to a lack of funds.

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