EDITORIAL: The clowns in our Parliament

Since the live-streaming of parliamentary proceedings began, transparency was supposed to deepen democracy. Instead, it has inflated egos.

What was designed to give Namibians a real-time window into legislative deliberation has become a stage for theatrical ambition. Some lawmakers, fully conscious that the cameras are beamed on them, have recast themselves as protagonists in a political soap opera no one commissioned.

The National Assembly is increasingly resembling a content studio. Soundbites are crafted not for policy clarity, but for viral effects. Gestures are exaggerated. Insults are sharpened. Outbursts are calibrated. The goal is not persuasion - it is performance.

The reward is the after-hours circulation of video clips to online ‘fans’. To some lawmakers, Parliament has become a popularity contest - with fame the only trophy worth winning.

The principle behind live broadcasting was noble. Citizens who braved sun, dust and long queues to vote deserved to see how their representatives articulate issues that shape their daily realities.

Instead, they are handed a circus.

Yesterday’s spectacle was particularly difficult to watch. A racist and xenophobic attack on Dino Ballotti unfolded without restraint - no filter, no dignity, no regard for the children watching at home. It was political discourse stripped of decorum.

Ironically, the day before, we saw lawmakers inviting each other to a fist fight - not in a street confrontation, but within the sacred chambers of Parliament. The very space meant for reasoned argument was reduced to playground bravado.

The tragedy is not that Parliament is live-streamed. Transparency is essential. The tragedy is that some members mistake visibility for value.

Namibians did not vote for theatrics. They voted for leadership. They voted for seriousness. They voted for solutions.

The cameras were meant to hold Parliament accountable. Instead, Parliament is auditioning for applause.