Independent candidate in the National Council, Paulus Mbangu, states that delays in releasing parliamentary committee reports have diminished their usefulness for current decision-making.

Mbangu reviewed a recent report from the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure, and Housing, which focussed on oversight visits to road infrastructure in various regions.

The regions visited by the National Council Committee included Kunene, Oshana, Kavango West, and Zambezi in 2022, as well as Hardap, ||Kharas, Omaheke, Otjozondjupa, Oshikoto, Omusati, Ohangwena, and Kavango East last year. 

The Committee on Transport, Infrastructure, and Housing addresses issues pertaining to offices, ministries, agencies, and public enterprises involved in national planning, works and transport, urban and rural development, housing, and sanitation.

The oversight visit was prompted by media coverage and reports from regional councils regarding the poor state of the country's rural roads and those in certain towns. 

Mbangu explained that the information no longer accurately reflects the current situation, making it harder to make informed decisions.

"The report itself was relevant and crucial at the time, but it will no longer accurately represent the current situation on the ground due to the delay, rendering the findings outdated and less useful for decision-making. This report, covering findings from 2022 to 2023, comes as we are nearing the end of the 2024 budget cycle. If stakeholders perceive that parliamentary reports are consistently delayed, it can lead to a lack of confidence in the legislative process. A year-long delay makes it difficult to address pressing issues. I hope this will be the last committee report delayed in this manner because the last report was delayed by more than two years. It cannot be the same committee that is always causing delays; why is it that other committees are managing to produce their reports on time?"