Lining up two SONAs, Itula finds govt is falling short

Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) leader Panduleni Itula has taken aim at President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah's State of the Nation Address (SONA), arguing that there is a measurable gap between government commitments and delivery.

He said the party compared the president’s 2025 and 2026 addresses to assess performance.

“Today, I place these two documents side by side to measure what was promised against what has been delivered. The gap between the two is not a matter of opinion; it is a matter of public record,” Itula said.

The IPC president pointed to a downward revision in economic growth projections.

“In the 2025 SONA, the president stated that the economy grew by 3.8% in 2024 and was expected to grow by 4.5% in 2025. In the 2026 SONA, GDP growth for 2025 is now projected at 1.7%,” Itula said.

“This is less than half of what was promised. With population growth at 1.9%, it means the economy shrank in real terms. Namibians became poorer in 2025.”

Itula also raised concerns over public debt and spending priorities.

“National debt stands at N$172 billion, about 62% of GDP. Interest payments amount to N$13.7 billion annually, more than the development budget,” he said.

On employment figures, he challenged government claims of job creation. “Social Security registration does not equal permanent employment. It includes temporary, seasonal and short-term work. A registration is not a job, it is a payslip,” he noted.

Points raised

Itula also criticised the structure of the national budget.

“The national budget is N$106.3 billion, with only N$12.8 billion, about 12%, allocated to development. This means 88% goes to operational costs such as salaries, travel and administration."

On governance, he warned of declining accountability indicators. “Namibia’s corruption perception score has dropped to 46. A score below 50 means the country is perceived as more corrupt than clean,” he warned.

On oil and gas governance, Itula stressed that it requires stronger oversight. “The solution is transparency, legislation and parliamentary oversight, not centralising control in the presidency,” he said.