Land, petroleum bills top National Assembly agenda

As the National Assembly resumes today, the long-awaited land bill is expected to take centre stage amid growing public concern over land access and calls for the reform of outdated legislation.

The assembly adjourned on 30 April after passing the 2026/27 national budget, which was subsequently approved by the National Council. Lawmakers are now expected to focus on several key pieces of legislation, including the land bill, the public enterprises governance amendment bill, the petroleum bill, and the mental health bill.

“We must finish the mental health bill, then move on to the land bill, the state-owned enterprises bill and the petroleum bill,” parliamentarian Vetaruhe Kandorozu says.

Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah says he expects robust debate on the proposed legislation due to its far-reaching implications for governance, resource management and national development.

He says the land bill should receive the highest priority, describing land as one of Namibia’s most sensitive and important national issues, affecting livelihoods, investment, housing, agriculture and social equity.

“Any reforms must be carefully scrutinised to ensure fairness, transparency and the protection of citizens’ rights,” he says.

Kamwanyah says the regional councils bill is equally important as it relates to decentralisation, local governance and service delivery.

“Strong regional institutions are essential for bringing decision-making closer to communities. Overall, while all three bills are important, I would place the land bill first, followed by the regional councils bill, with the petroleum bill requiring particularly careful scrutiny to safeguard transparency and prevent excessive concentration of power,” he says.

On the petroleum bill, which president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah wants placed under her office, Kamwanyah cautions that some provisions could centralise excessive authority.

“At a time when the petroleum sector is becoming increasingly important, strong oversight, transparency and accountability mechanisms are critical,” he says.

He says emerging controversies surrounding fuel-related matters and perceptions of political connections within the sector make it essential for the legislation to prioritise institutional checks and balances rather than concentrating power.

Another political analyst, Dobson Kwala, says all the bills are important because they respond to people’s needs.

He says the petroleum bill addresses energy issues, the regional councils bill focuses on local governance, while the land bill seeks to address one of the country’s most limited and contested resources.

Despite the tabling of these bills, Kwala says Namibia is often slow to implement legislation despite extensive discussions.

“Every bill is intended to solve a challenge in society,” he says.

He urges parliamentarians to ensure the bills are passed while conducting the necessary due diligence to avoid repeating past mistakes.

First on today’s agenda, whichThe Namibian has seen, is the resumption of the mental health bill at committee stage, followed by a debate on the public enterprises governance amendment bill, the land bill, and the oil and gas bill.

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المصدر: The Namibian