Speaker of the National Assembly Peter Katjavivi has urged incoming parliamentarians to acquaint themselves with the parliamentary rules as they prepare to begin their roles in 2025.
Professor Katjavivi was speaking on nbc's 'Inside the Chambers' TV program.
Professor Katjavivi spoke about the importance of spending enough time to learn about the workings of parliament.
He stressed that parliamentarians should carefully consider what each bill aims to achieve and what changes might be needed to improve them.
The Speaker of the National Assembly believes this will help ensure that the bills align with the needs and aspirations of the Namibian people.
"If you are not familiar with the rules, you are likely to get lost in the process of addressing important issues. Remember that your role as members of parliament is to serve the people of Namibia; that is foremost. Then, followed by focusing on listening to the needs of various regions and citizens of the country, it is important that one is guided by the broad vision of our country in terms of what steps have been devised to advance the development of Namibia's growth."
Katjavivi also shared his future hopes for the National Assembly.
"I hope the National Assembly continues to serve as a beacon of democracy in progress. In other words, have a lively debate here, but in a manner that is consistent with the question of strengthening our democratic culture, making sure that we adhere to the needs and rules of parliament. But above all, we carry out our mandate in terms of oversight responsibility, making sure that our people in this vast country have access to parliament. We actually have a bus with the theme titled 'Taking Parliament to the People,' using the facilities to go out to different regions of our country, listening to the citizens of Namibia, hearing them, and taking into account their needs and demands to improve their quality of life on the ground so that they feel they are being included in the overall process of advancing the development of the country."