The National Assembly Speaker, Professor Peter Katjavivi, has emphasised that accurate information obtained through the ongoing census exercise will be vital for lawmakers when passing legislation.

Tensions ran high in the National Assembly on Wednesday as the Deputy Minister of Education, Faustina Caley, raised objections to the tabling of a private member's bill proposing to regulate the provision of free sanitary materials to schoolgirls.

The bill was proposed by PDM Leader McHenry Venaani.

With Parliament scheduled to reconsider the Marriages Bill this week, some members of the public and concerned groups gathered at the parliament building to witness the discussion of the Definition of Spouse Private Members’ Bill.

The Deputy Minister of Disability Affairs, Alexia Manombe-Ncube, has tabled a motion in the National Assembly for the official recognition of Namibian Sign Language as one of the national languages of Namibia.

She also proposed the appointment of sign language interpreters for live parliamentary debates.

Opposition parties that dragged the Speaker of the National Assembly and President Hage Geingob to Court in 2021 over the appointment of the ACC Director General and his deputy will have to pay over N$500,000 in legal costs.

There was overwhelming support for the two Private Member Bills currently under review in the National Council, albeit with heated debate.

Discussion on the Civil Registration and Identification Bill has been postponed to September 2023 when the session resumes.

The National Assembly concluded its current session today and entered a recess period with the plan to reconvene on September 5. 

Swapo Party MP in the National Assembly, Dr. Tobie Aupindi, has emphasised the need for Namibia to criminalise the exportation of raw mineral resources in order to ensure that maximum benefits are retained within the country.