Namibia: In Namibia, Trust in National Assembly Sinks to New Low, Along With Performance Ratings

7 November 2024
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Asafika Mpako and Stephen Ndoma

Only one in six citizens say elected representatives listen to their constituents.

Key findings

  • Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Namibians say elected officials should prioritise voter demands rather than their own ideas.
  • Only one-sixth (16%) of citizens say members of the National Assembly "often" or "always" try their best to listen to what ordinary people have to say.
  • Only one-tenth (9%) of Namibians say they contacted an MP during the past year about some important problem or to give them their views.
  • Nearly two-thirds (64%) of citizens think the National Assembly - rather than the president - should make laws, even if the president does not agree with them.
  • Six in 10 citizens (59%) want the president to be accountable to the National Assembly for how his government spends taxpayers' money.
  • Three in 10 Namibians (31%) say that "most" or "all" members of the National Assembly are involved in corruption. In addition, nearly half (48%) believe that "some" of them are.
  • Both popular trust in MPs and performance approval ratings for MPs are at their lowest levels in two decades of Afrobarometer surveys: o Fewer than four in 10 respondents (37%) say they trust their MP "somewhat" or "a lot," while 52% say they trust them "just a little" or "not at all." o Four in 10 citizens (41%) "approve" or "strongly approve" of the way their member of the National Assembly has performed their jobs over the past 12 months, while the same share (40%) express disapproval.

The primary job of Namibia's Parliament is to pass laws that uphold citizens' rights and promote the values of equality, human dignity, non-racialism, and non-sexism enshrined in the Constitution (Kaurimujethe, 2021).

The National Assembly's 2023-2027 Strategic Plan, which builds on an earlier iteration, provides a framework for fostering robust governance and accountability among members of the legislature, helping to ensure that office bearers meet the needs of citizens who entrust them with their votes. For example, strategies such as the e-Parliament initiative seek to improve parliamentary processes and strengthen the institution's efficiency, thereby enhancing its capacity to deliver on its core mandate. The re-establishment of a Parliamentary Service Commission, reportedly near at hand, is intended to boost the effectiveness and professionalism of Parliament's functions (Namibian Economist, 2024; World Bank, 2024).

In a recent judgment by the Windhoek High Court, two members of the National Assembly were found to have behaved improperly during the late President Hage Geingob's state of the nation address in Parliament in April 2021 (Menges & Matthys, 2024). But this is not the first time that members have failed to uphold parliamentary conduct, with some going so far as to threaten physical violence (Namibian, 2021).

Observers argue that members' lack of decorum, blatant disregard for the rules of the house, and absenteeism during election campaigns have impeded the work of Parliament. For example, on 6 June 2024, Parliament had to postpone its session because it fell short of the 29-member quorum for sittings of the National Assembly (Namibian, 2020; Petersen & Matheus, 2024).

With presidential and legislative elections coming up in November, how do Namibians perceive members of their National Assembly?

The most recent Afrobarometer survey shows solid public backing for basic parliamentary functions: Healthy majorities of citizens think that it's the National Assembly's job - rather than the president's - to make laws and that its' members should hold the president accountable for how his administration spends taxpayers' money.

A majority of Namibians want elected officials to prioritise voter demands rather than their own ideas, but only a minority believe that members of the National Assembly actually listen to them. One-tenth of citizens say they contacted a member of the National Assembly in the past year about some important problem or to give them their views.

Most citizens see at least "some" National Assembly members as corrupt. Trust in the National Assembly and citizens' approval ratings have reached their lowest points in two decades.

Asafika Mpako Asafika is the communications coordinator for Southern Africa

Stephen Ndoma Stephen is the assistant project manager for Southern Africa

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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