EDITORIAL: Do our lawmakers understand their mandate?

In a democratic state like ours, where the rule of law is supreme, change is driven through law. Our country’s past – both historically and culturally – demands that key reforms are effected through legislation.

President Hage Geingob alluded to this when he opened parliament this week, urging members to be catalysts of societal transformation.

There is a ‘cause and effect’ relationship between law and social change. Our parliamentarians must be made to understand that, in its most concrete sense, social transformation is a necessity in changing times.

A responsive government, a healthy environment and a just society cannot be achieved with an archaic outlook and mindset. With the evolution of time comes the need for modifications of our governance architecture – and even how we raise our kids.

Not only that. Technology, which is alien to many of our members of parliament, is another factor that has necessitated constant change in law.

Ideology is yet another factor. For example, when Swapo realised that the communist persuasions it held prior to independence would not survive the overwhelming influence of capitalism, which dominated the world at the time, they changed gears towards a mixed economy.

Our parliament, as the factory of laws and legislation, must thus be more than just a house of childish quarrels, insults and body shaming. The mandate is too sacred to be dwarfed by cat- and dogfights!