President Nangolo Mbumba has withheld signing two private member's bills, the Definition of Spouses Bill and the Marriage Amendment Bill, citing constitutional concerns.

This was said by Minister in the Presidency Christine ||Hoëbes in her response to questions posed by MP Jerry Ekandjo regarding the President's handling of the bills passed by the National Assembly and confirmed by the National Council.

Parliamentarian Jerry Ekandjo has, at every opportunity, enquired about the delay in the President's signature to the private member bills he introduced in 2023, which were passed by both the National Assembly and affirmed by the National Council.

These bills seek to outlaw the promotion and solemnisation of same-sex marriages and redefine the term "spouse" to align with Namibia's legal framework.

Despite their passage through parliament, President Nangolo Mbumba has yet to assent to them, sparking accusations of constitutional noncompliance from Ekandjo.

The presidency in the response highlighted concerns about the two Bills passed by Parliament, questioning whether they followed the proper law-making process and met constitutional requirements under the Namibian Constitution.

Normally, every Bill must be certified as constitutionally compliant by the Attorney General, but this process was not followed for these Bills, raising concerns about their validity.

After consultation, the President concluded that the Bills could face constitutional challenges and chose not to assent to them, in line with the Constitution.

The Constitution, she said, in some instances requires a two-thirds majority for the President's signature, and the President exercised his legal right under the Constitution.

The President has, however, signed the Marriage Bill of 2024, which addresses marriage issues in accordance with government policy and constitutional compliance, including some issues raised in the private members bill.