A civic organisation called Lisha Empowerment and Development has petitioned the National Assembly to address the urgent need to revive the market for livestock in the northern communal areas.

The petition states that livestock farmers in the northern communal areas cannot sustainably sell their livestock.

It says this is because the quarantine facility at Farm Omutambo Maowe in Omusati, the Eloolo in Oshakati, and the Outapi abattoirs under the watch of the agricultural ministry collapsed nearly 12 years ago.

The cancellation of the National Assembly's Wednesday session raised eyebrows among members, as it was deemed neither procedural nor in line with parliamentary rules.

Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) MP Maximalliant Katjimune explained that there is no provision in the rules that dictates that the speakership may just cancel the session in the middle of it when there was no reference to any rules whatsoever.

The Deputy Speaker, Loide Kasingo, apologised and cited unspecified reasons for the cancellation.

The National Council MPs debated on the second reading featuring the Appropriation Amendment Bill.

The bill solely looks at revising and reallocating resources without changing the total amount of expenditure.

MPs have commended the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises' efforts to curb excessive spending and for recognising the economic strain experienced by all Namibians.

National Assembly MPs have set aside their political differences to support the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) Diederik Vries' motion that calls for urgent measures to address the food security situation in the country.

The motion has been forwarded to the relevant parliamentary standing committee for further review.

Herlinde Tjiveze of the Republican Party (RP) pointed out global food insecurity as climate change effects become a reality.

She advocated for sustainable solutions.

Swapo Member of Parliament, Kletus Karondo, says deaf people face more barriers than other citizens in accessing the criminal justice system.

Karondo contributed to a motion tabled by Deputy Minister of Disability Affairs, Alexia Manombe-Ncube, which seeks to recommend the recognition of Namibian Sign Language as a national language and the appointment of sign language interpreters for live parliamentary debates.

The Deputy Minister of Sports, Youth, and National Services, Emma Kantema-Gaomas, has expressed support for the establishment of a Namibian Hall of Fame for creatives and athletes.

Emphasising the importance of honouring extraordinary talents in the creative and athletic sectors, the deputy minister highlighted the potential contribution to the enrichment of national heritage and pride.

Members of Parliament have commended the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises' efforts to curb excessive spending and for recognising the economic strain experienced by all Namibians.

MPs were contributing to the Appropriation Amendment Bill.

While commending the Finance Minister for allocating a substantial N$643 million towards the drought relief programme, National Unity Democratic Organisation President Utjiua Muinjangue underscored the critical issue of food security troubling Namibia's households.

Namibians will be heading to the polls next year, where each ballot cast will decide who the next president and National Assembly members will be.

It is for this reason that the Electoral Commission of Namibia will conduct a mock voter registration with an enhanced mobile system from November 15 to 17.

After reviewing the 2019 and 2020 Presidential and National Assembly Elections, the Commission upgraded its mobile voter registration system to the integrated mobile voter registration system.

The Minister of Works and Transport, John Mutorwa, tabled the motion in the National Assembly to minimise road damage and proposed that overloading offences be legalised as administrative ones.

The current legislative framework for road traffic and transport offences is the Road Traffic and Transport Act 1999 and the Criminal Procedure Act 1977, Act No. 51 of 1977.

Mutorwa raised his concerns, stating that the legislative regulatory framework for the Road Traffic and Transport Act is not fully complied with and acted in accordance with, making it inefficient.

Namibia will not sign the New Partnership Agreement (NPA) between the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union (EU) in its current form.

Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says interested member states and members of the EU are due to sign the agreement on November 15, but Namibia will not sign due to several prescriptive clauses.