Opposition and Swapo members remain divided over the public enterprises governance amendment bill of 2025, with some lawmakers rejecting the proposed reforms.
The bill seeks to grant prime minister Elijah Ngurare authority to oversee all state-owned enterprises, including the appointment and removal of board members in consultation with relevant line ministers.
Independent Patriots for Change parliamentarian Isra Kanyemba opposed the bill on Tuesday, describing it as a power grab.
“We are taking powers away from professional structures and handing them to politicians. I am not opposing change for the sake of politics, but because it weakens accountability,” he said.
Kanyemba argued that the amendment risks turning public enterprises into instruments of political convenience rather than drivers of national development. He warned that the proposal creates a fragmented system through increased Cabinet and State House involvement, which he described as poor governance and excessive political control.
He called on the prime minister to withdraw the bill and introduce reforms that strengthen rather than weaken public enterprises.
Parliamentarian Vilho Ihemba also expresses concern about the growing centralisation of power, saying that while the bill aims to align policies, it raises questions about excessive control.
However, Swapo parliamentarian Clemencia Coetzee defends the bill, saying it would clarify reporting structures and improve coordination across public enterprises.
She says the amendment addresses service delivery challenges in entities that continue to receive government funding despite poor performance.
Deputy minister of agriculture Ruth Masake also backs the bill, arguing that it would improve accountability by placing direct ownership and oversight responsibilities with line ministries instead of concentrating them under a single ministry.
