The National Council (NC) session today ended abruptly because of heated exchanges between some parliamentarians.

The session spiralled into chaos as Members of Parliament (MP) raised concerns over a report tabled by the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure, and Housing on its oversight mission to the regions.

NC MP and Independent candidate Paulus Mbangu demanded that the report be withdrawn as it was not in conformity with the set standards of parliamentary reports.

Members of Parliament in the National Council are concerned over youth not being given equal opportunity in decision-making in the political affairs of the country.

They raised this when contributing to the report tabled by Swapo Party MP Emma Muteka, who attended the forum of young parliamentarians held in Luanda, Angola, during the 147th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU Assembly in October.

The foundation topic discussed at the IPU was the campaign "I Say Yes to Youth in Parliament'.

Members of Parliament in the National Council expressed concern for public health over the use of hooka pipes, or, as they are otherwise popularly known, hubbly bubbly, especially when shared.

They were contributing to the motion tabled by Swapo Party MP Richard !Gaoseb, which includes the need for an analysis of its health side effects.

Swapo MP Hans Nambondi said that when shared between individuals from mouth to mouth, hubbly bubbly can potentially facilitate the transmission of infectious diseases or communicable diseases.

The National Council Parliamentary Standing Committees and civil society organisations held a workshop in Windhoek to enhance public participation in the oversight activities of the committees for the strengthening of democratic initiatives and social justice.

Civil society organisations in Namibia continue to play an important role in supporting human rights and democracy, as well as promoting transparency, accountability, and social justice.

However, very often, civil societies feel left out of national issues as their mandate is misunderstood.

Swapo Party MP in the National Council, Richard !Gaoseb, has tabled a motion in the National Council to address the adverse impact of hubbly bubbly, also known as hooka, on the health and well-being of Namibia's youth.

The proposed debate includes exploring the negative health effects, substance analysis, and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare's role in the prevention of this practice.

!Gaoseb in his address to the National Council, is calling for urgent action.

Some members of the National Council welcomed the drought relief budget allocation following the adjustment of the amount by the Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises.

Iipumbu Shiimi added an additional N$643 million to supplement the drought relief provision under the Office of the Prime Minister, covering both food distribution as well as support for affected farmers.

Swapo MP Leonard Shikulo expressed appreciation, saying the community of the Omusati Region is satisfied with the allocation of funds for drought relief.

The former Speaker of the German Parliament and Chairperson of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Professor Norbert Lammert, paid a courtesy call on the National Council.

The purpose of the engagement was to gain an understanding of the political systems and processes within the Namibian parliament.

"We would like to support the efficiency of parliament in a constitutional democracy like Namibia, and to say the political systems don't differ from each other by the existence of the government; they differ in terms of whether there is serious parliamentary participation."

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.

The National Council and Swapo Party Member of Parliament, George Garab, tabled the report on the 71st Westminster Seminar of the Common Wealth Parliamentary Association on effective parliaments held in March.

63 delegates from Namibia attended the seminar, which Garab said met its objectives, highlighting the importance of parliamentary scrutiny and oversight.

The National Council has built the capacity of its Members of Parliament to become effective lawmakers.

Speaking at the opening of the 10th session of the council this morning, Chairperson Lukas Muha said they have managed to empower their members in various areas in terms of diplomacy, protocol, and etiquette.

He applauded the parliamentary standing committees for their commitment and successful undertaking of oversight visits during the July–November interval.