Anti-Terrorism Act rushed - IPPR

WINDHOEK ELVIS MURARANGANDA

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has echoed the views of some opposition politicians, by pointing out how quickly the Anti-Terrorism Act sailed through parliament.
In its publication titled Democracy Report, the IPPR stresses the importance of the Act and that thorough deliberation on the subject was needed.
The subject of terrorism and how to prevent it is a very serious matter and one that deserves to be the subject of a national discourse and especially a serious debate in parliament.
It says the 'debate' was so rushed that it did not even allow parliamentarians to read the bill.
Parliament could surely have sat for a few more days to give the bill proper consideration, even given the fact that the executive's delays in tabling the bill were unacceptable, it says.
It would be unfortunate if members of parliament's desire to go on their Christmas break was a factor in curtailing this debate, the report reads.
A total of eight MPs - seven in the National Assembly and one in the National Council - contributed to the short discussion on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorist Activities Act.
One would want to know why the bill was delayed to the extent that we now have to rush such an important bill through the House, said Swanu president Usutuaije Maamberua during the debate.
All People's Party president Ignatius Shixwameni also condemned the pace at which the bill was being rushed.
This bill was brought here. It was tabled today, motivated today and I do not know how people would have been expected to read the 39 pages during the time spent by the minister of safety and security standing and reading the statement motivating this particular bill, he said.
In reply, the deputy minister of foreign affairs, Peya Mushelenga, said the Act could be improved at a later stage by amending it.
For now we need a legal framework which we can work on. (…) for now I think it is important that we allow the bill to go through up to the committee stage so that we do not waste time, Mushelenga said.