Mbangu slams exclusion of regional councillors in budget discussions
‘Council must stop being a passive observer’
National Council lawmaker Paulus Mbangu says fund allocations to the regions are insufficient to meet the needs on the ground due to a lack of consultation with regional councillors.
National Council lawmaker Paulus Mbangu has criticised the council for failing to fully exercise its powers, particularly in holding the minister of finance Ipumbu Shiimi accountable for his budget proposals.
Mbangu criticised the council for not summoning the minister to motivate his budgets and called for greater inclusion of councillors in budget consultations.
Speaking during a recent parliamentary session, Mbangu argued that the current allocation of funds to regional councils is insufficient to meet constituency needs.
He attributed this shortfall to a lack of proper consultation with councillors during the budget drafting process.
“The constitution is clear: the minister of finance must table the budget to parliament, which includes both the National Assembly and the National Council. Yet, the minister only motivates the budget in the National Assembly, sidelining the National Council. This is unacceptable,” he said.
“This chamber can summon anyone – it’s our constitutional right. If the minister of finance fails to consult us, we have the authority to demand accountability. Unfortunately, we are not using this power effectively,” he added.
He urged the council to take a stronger stance to ensure that ministers motivate their budgets in both chambers of parliament, as stipulated by the constitution.
“It’s time for us to assert our powers. This council must stop being a passive observer and start being a proactive institution that fights for the needs of the people we represent."
Critical gaps
Mbangu lamented that councillors, who are at the forefront of addressing community needs, are excluded from budgetary consultations. This, he said, leaves them with little influence over allocations, resulting in glaring gaps in funding for critical constituency needs such as infrastructure, water supply and social services.
“The funds given to regional councils are simply not enough. Ministers often refer people back to councillors for assistance, yet we are left without the resources to address these issues,” he said.
Mbangu also expressed frustration over the absence of a budget committee, which would enable a more consultative process between lawmakers and technocrats before budgets are finalised.
“The establishment of a budget committee is long overdue. We need to be consulted to ensure that funds are distributed equitably, and the public, including people with disabilities, should also have their say,” he said.
Representational democracy
Mbangu also addressed the shortcomings of the party list system in Namibia, which, he said, is not discussed enough.
“Members avoid discussing the need to do away with the party list system in Namibia. Most members prefer not to address this matter, but to ensure accountability to the electorate, we must abolish the party list system. Proportional representation should be replaced with a representational democracy, where all councillors are members of parliament. This would make accountability much easier,” he argued.
He said it is difficult for voters to hold accountable someone who enters parliament through a party list because such members are primarily answerable to their parties.
"They simply follow party directives without question. When the party says, 'jump', they only ask, 'how high?' instead of asking, 'why should I jump?' This loyalty to the party undermines individual accountability. If we truly want to address this issue, we must replace proportional representation with representational democracy,” he said.
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Mbangu criticised the council for not summoning the minister to motivate his budgets and called for greater inclusion of councillors in budget consultations.
Speaking during a recent parliamentary session, Mbangu argued that the current allocation of funds to regional councils is insufficient to meet constituency needs.
He attributed this shortfall to a lack of proper consultation with councillors during the budget drafting process.
“The constitution is clear: the minister of finance must table the budget to parliament, which includes both the National Assembly and the National Council. Yet, the minister only motivates the budget in the National Assembly, sidelining the National Council. This is unacceptable,” he said.
“This chamber can summon anyone – it’s our constitutional right. If the minister of finance fails to consult us, we have the authority to demand accountability. Unfortunately, we are not using this power effectively,” he added.
He urged the council to take a stronger stance to ensure that ministers motivate their budgets in both chambers of parliament, as stipulated by the constitution.
“It’s time for us to assert our powers. This council must stop being a passive observer and start being a proactive institution that fights for the needs of the people we represent."
Critical gaps
Mbangu lamented that councillors, who are at the forefront of addressing community needs, are excluded from budgetary consultations. This, he said, leaves them with little influence over allocations, resulting in glaring gaps in funding for critical constituency needs such as infrastructure, water supply and social services.
“The funds given to regional councils are simply not enough. Ministers often refer people back to councillors for assistance, yet we are left without the resources to address these issues,” he said.
Mbangu also expressed frustration over the absence of a budget committee, which would enable a more consultative process between lawmakers and technocrats before budgets are finalised.
“The establishment of a budget committee is long overdue. We need to be consulted to ensure that funds are distributed equitably, and the public, including people with disabilities, should also have their say,” he said.
Representational democracy
Mbangu also addressed the shortcomings of the party list system in Namibia, which, he said, is not discussed enough.
“Members avoid discussing the need to do away with the party list system in Namibia. Most members prefer not to address this matter, but to ensure accountability to the electorate, we must abolish the party list system. Proportional representation should be replaced with a representational democracy, where all councillors are members of parliament. This would make accountability much easier,” he argued.
He said it is difficult for voters to hold accountable someone who enters parliament through a party list because such members are primarily answerable to their parties.
"They simply follow party directives without question. When the party says, 'jump', they only ask, 'how high?' instead of asking, 'why should I jump?' This loyalty to the party undermines individual accountability. If we truly want to address this issue, we must replace proportional representation with representational democracy,” he said.
[email protected]
#NamibiaDecides2024
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