EDITORIAL: The president’s real problem is her own parliamentary bench

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s frustration with parliament for failing to pass key bills during the just-ended session is understandable. A government cannot govern without laws, and Namibia cannot meet its development targets if its legislative engine keeps stalling. But the president’s frustrations, while justified, point to a deeper ailment within her own party.

As PDM leader McHenry Venaani bluntly put it, Nandi-Ndaitwah's parliamentary bench is disengaged largely because many did not get the positions they wanted.



The political machinery around her is thin, hesitant and, at times, startlingly shallow. Too many of her ministers struggle to demonstrate the depth, clarity and decisiveness required to move even the simplest policy issues from paper to action. It is not a lack of mandate that cripples her agenda – it is a lack of capacity, courage and political will within the very team meant to carry her vision forward. Blaming parliament may win a headline or two, but it will not fix the real problem. Until the president strengthens her front bench, demands excellence and rewards performance over loyalty, no legislative session – no matter how long – will deliver the laws Namibia urgently needs.