The Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) has defended its decision to support the petroleum (exploration and production) amendment bill, saying Namibia’s political independence must be matched by economic control.
NEFF was the only opposition party that voted with Swapo on Tuesday to approve the bill to proceed to the committee stage.
In a statement released on Tuesday, NEFF deputy president Kalimbo Iipumbu says its support for the bill was based on the need to treat the country’s petroleum resources as strategic national economic assets rather than as opportunities for foreign capital.
The party’s position comes amid criticism from opposition parties over provisions that establish an upstream petroleum unit in the Office of the President and transfer certain petroleum-related powers to the Presidency.
He acknowledges concerns about the concentration of authority, accountability, institutional independence and possible political interference, saying these issues deserve parliamentary and public scrutiny.
However, he rejects claims that supporting the bill amounts to surrendering the country’s petroleum resources to the political elite.
“Our support was not a blank cheque to the executive,” reads the statement.
The Iipumbu says the party will continue demanding transparency, parliamentary oversight, public accountability, local content, employment and meaningful Namibian participation in the industry.
The party says it would not oppose legislation simply because other opposition parties rejected it, insisting that every bill must be assessed on its substance and potential impact on the public.
“Political freedom without economic freedom remains incomplete,” Iipumbu says, reaffirming the party’s commitment to economic emancipation.
