Members of Parliament from the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) boycotted the second State of the Nation Address delivered by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, saying the exercise no longer adds meaningful value to national debate.

LPM spokesperson Lifalaza Simataa said the decision to stay away was informed by what the party views as repeated announcements that are not followed through with tangible results.

Simataa said that previous commitments made during similar addresses have often been reiterated without sufficient progress on implementation. 

He cited housing targets as an example, alleging that the government announcements have been progressively scaled down without meeting earlier goals.

“We will hear about building 5,000 houses, then it is reduced to 3,000 houses, and still not even 300 houses have been built,” Simataa said, adding that such pronouncements “masquerade as success” while failing to achieve intended targets.

He further stated that participation in the State of the Nation Address does not provide opposition parties with a meaningful opportunity to influence outcomes, as the format does not allow for direct contributions or debate during the president’s delivery.

Despite the boycott, parliamentary proceedings continued, with the Speaker of the National Assembly having granted opposition parties the opportunity to pose questions to the President.