Former Speaker of the National Assembly, Professor Peter Katjavivi, has emphasised the importance of celebrating independence with pride, as freedom instils a sense of dignity among the people.

He said independence implies that Namibians are able to determine their destiny by providing all the necessary instruments that enable them to rule the country in a very democratic way.

"As a nation, our aim is to make sure that the world is a better place for all of us in terms of peace. This is very important because the SSA goes like this: charity begins at home. And we have begun our march in a country where we have made sure that peace is going to be the cornerstone, and I think we have done quite well in that regard."

Katjavivi stated that the Namibian parliament, like all parliaments in the world, is an important pillar in shaping the country's development, tradition and socio-economic wellbeing.

"The parliament has got a core mandate of making sure that we exercise our responsibility in terms of being legislation, passing laws, and making sure that the oversight, responsibility and representation. In this context, the Namibian parliament has been responsible for ensuring that we exercise our responsibility over the executive. And I think we have done quite well in that regard."