Kavango East Region has so far recorded 15 mortalities due to malnutrition.

This was shared during an engagement meeting between the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Gender Equality Social Development and Family Affairs, the Health Directorate, and stakeholders at Rundu. 

The malnutrition cases in the Kavango East Region were at their peak last year, with 2,716 people affected and 30 deaths recorded.

This year, 15 mortalities were recorded, with about 14,000 people affected by malnutrition. 

Swapo Party MP in the National Council, Andreas Amundjindi, proposed legislative changes to streamline elections by considering the holding of national, regional, and local authority elections simultaneously.

Amundjindi, who was speaking during a debate on the Electoral Amendment Bill, said this strategy will also reduce costs.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Gender Equality, Social Development, and Family Affairs has recommended a series of measures aimed at combating malnutrition in Namibia. 

One of the key recommendations is the enactment of laws to promote, protect, and support child nutrition, emphasising the importance of legislation in safeguarding the nutritional needs of Namibian children. 

A total of 191,353 children were screened between January and June this year, of whom 10,151 were treated for malnutrition in the country.

The Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni, has motivated an amendment to the Electoral Act of 2014 in the National Assembly. 

This proposed bill seeks to broaden the eligibility criteria for the National Assembly elections by allowing remunerated members of the public service, as well as members of the National Council, regional councils, and local authorities, to be nominated as candidates to the National Assembly.

The bill further proposes authorising public servants to use their leave days to campaign for elections.

The Deputy Minister of Marginalised Communities in the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication, and Social Welfare has revealed that 1,173 cases of child neglect have been reported since last year.

An eye-brow-raising 928 of these cases are of sexual abuse, while cases of physical abuse stand at 526.

The statistics were revealed by the Deputy Minister of Marginalised Communities, Royal Ui|o||oo.

He was responding to PDM MP Mike Venaani, who asked about challenges that marginalised communities such as the San, Ovatue, and Ovatjimba face.

In response to LPM's Utaara Mootu's inquiry about bed shortages at the Katutura Intermediate Hospital, Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula attributed the issue to the high numbers of lodger mothers accompanying admitted babies, causing overcrowding. 

Dr. Shangula informed the house that a decision was made to allow mothers to stay with their admitted babies to promote recovery and bonding, considering separating them at such a critical time would not be beneficial. 

The Minister of Industrialization and Trade, Lucia Iipumbu, tabled the Property Practitioners Bill in Parliament yesterday. 

The bill, which replaces the outdated Estate Agents Act of 1976, aims to modernise and enhance the regulatory framework governing property practitioners in the country.

Iipumbu highlighted the significance of the legislative proposal, which seeks to establish the Property Practitioner Regulatory Authority as well as regulate the activities of the property industry.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs has submitted its comprehensive report on the management of Bwabwata Communal Land.

Drawing from a petition presented by the Hambukushu Traditional Authority, the report unveils a multitude of findings and recommendations.

The report, presented by Kletus Karondo, sheds light on a range of issues, including the historical context surrounding Bwabwata National Park, community grievances, and governmental responses. 

Education stakeholders in Zambezi Region held an engagement with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Science, ICT, and Youth Development to discuss the current crisis in the education sector in the region.

The Committee is investigating a lack of special schools in the Kavango East, Kavango West, and Zambezi regions and establishing the means to have such schools.

Interested parties have the opportunity to attend physically or make their submission in writing.

Several Members of Parliament plead for the reconsideration of the report on the National Resettlement Policy for the years 2023–2033.

The discussion centred on various aspects of the policy, with MPs highlighting gaps, inconsistencies, and the lack of proper public consultation in its formulation.