Renthia Kaimbi
Human rights advocate Phil ya Nangoloh questioned whether opposition parties can bring real political change. He said they have failed to address an important constitutional issue that impacts governance.
Ya Nangoloh, the founder and executive director of NamRights, said he has long raised concerns about how the ruling Swapo governs the country.
He believes the party has not fully upheld democracy, the rule of law, or justice since independence.
He said this has created a misleading public perception that Swapo alone is to blame for the country’s failures in protecting civil, economic and social rights.
He argued that opposition parties and many civil society actors either misunderstand or ignore the constitutional principle of separation of powers.
Ya Nangoloh said Namibia’s opposition parties and many civil society groups have ignored the constitutional separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches. He noted that even when they are aware of this issue, they have failed to take meaningful action.
“Then they simply have also been paying lip service, incapable of and unable to advocate practical implementation, by both Parliament and Cabinet, of the constitutionally prescribed regime of the separation and independence of powers, duties, and functions between Cabinet, on the one hand, and Parliament, on the other hand,” ya Nangoloh asserted.
He said the opposition has failed to advocate for the practical implementation of the Constitution, which clearly outlines that the executive and legislative branches must operate independently.
He says the Constitution mandates this separation and makes the Cabinet answerable to Parliament. He said this structure is essential to ensure democracy, good governance, and the protection of human rights and freedoms.
Ya Nangoloh said the preamble and several articles of the Constitution make it clear that government powers must be separated.
However, he noted that since 1990, the Cabinet and Parliament have been working like one body, which weakens accountability.
He said it is worrying that opposition parties have not brought up this issue in Parliament.
He mentioned the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), saying the party, which was created to promote reform, has failed to speak out against what he sees as a violation of the Constitution.
“While virtually all Namibian opposition parties have failed to raise in Parliament the issue of the separation and independence of powers, duties, and functions between Cabinet and Parliament, it is very significant to note that even the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), which claims that it came into existence specifically in order to bring about change, has so far dismally failed to say one single word or two about this flagrant and glaring disregard of the constitutional doctrine of the separation and independence of powers, duties, and functions between Cabinet and Parliament,” he stated.
Ya Nangoloh said that until opposition parties confront this core constitutional issue, they will remain ineffective in bringing meaningful political change to Namibia.
