Independent MP in the National Council Paulus Mbango has raised concern over the proposal to reallocate funds from the emergency budget within the Office of the Prime Minister.

This follows suggestions from some National Assembly MPs that N$20 million be redirected from the emergency budget to parliament for the construction of offices and to enhance the work of parliamentary standing committees.

While acknowledging the importance of adequate office space and effective parliamentary oversight, Mbango cautioned against addressing these needs at the expense of vulnerable communities.

He said this budget is not a mere financial line item but an important component of the government's preparedness to safeguard communities in times of crisis and should be treated as such.

"It ensures we have the necessary resources available for immediate response to disasters, be they natural, such as devastating floods, relentless droughts or destructive locust infestations, or man-made, like veld fires that threaten our lands and livelihoods. Without this budget, we risk leaving our communities vulnerable in the face of adversity. Currently all 14 regional councils are without a dedicated budget for disaster risk management. We cannot allow our citizens to suffer the consequences of inadequate preparedness."

Swapo Party MP Bethuel Tjaveondja and UDF MP Kennedy !Haoseb, on the other hand, expressed doubt over the effectiveness of the voucher-based system for drought relief food and its potential to create confusion and tension between community members and councillors due to the limited rollout to select regions.

"I don't know now if it's the system or the staff that are operating with this, where it ends up that some beneficiaries have been omitted, and then it becomes a challenge to us as regional councillors because with the politics and dynamics we are living in, to an extent, you are blamed and then removed," said Tjaveondja.

In support, !Haoseb added that "In some constituencies beneficiaries are receiving food vouchers, and with those food vouchers they are getting food from the local outlets, but this programme has only been in certain constituencies. I want this programme to also be extended to all constituencies which are benefitting from drought relief."