In a bid to cushion the impact of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak on informal meat traders, Republican Party member of parliament Mathias Mbundu has proposed a N$10 million relief fund. The fund aims to support kapana vendors and small-scale traders who have been affected by the disease, which has disrupted meat supplies and increased costs for alternative sources. Mbundu made the proposal during the debate on the 2026/27 mid-year budget review in the National Assembly.
Mbundu emphasized that the restrictions imposed to contain the disease have not only affected livestock farmers and commercial abattoirs but also small-scale traders who rely on daily sales to support their households. He urged the finance minister, Ericah Shafudah, to consider a once-off fund to help traders meet essential business and household expenses. The proposed assistance would be implemented in collaboration with relevant ministries and local authorities to assess the impact on traders and establish a transparent application process.
The proposal was part of a broader debate on the cost of living, unemployment, and development spending. Affirmative Repositioning MP George Kambala questioned the effectiveness of the amended budget in addressing the needs of the people, citing a significant gap between ministries' funding requests and the additional allocations provided. He also expressed concerns about the development budget execution rate of 42% recorded at the end of September, warning that delays in implementing projects could have severe consequences.
Kambala further called for a forensic audit of the Public Service Employees Medical Aid Scheme (PSEMAS), following a proposed additional allocation of N$535 million to the scheme. He argued that public servants deserved reliable medical care, but additional funding should be accompanied by stronger financial controls and transparent claims management. SWAPO MP Willem Amutenya also called for an independent investigation into PSEMAS, citing concerns about expenditure patterns, claims management, and relationships with contracted healthcare providers.
Amutenya linked the pressure on public finances to the difficulties households were experiencing, as the cost of basic necessities continued to weigh on salaries. He raised concerns about the growing reliance on micro-lenders, including unregistered operators, and called for stronger consumer protection and effective oversight of micro-lenders. Amutenya also urged the government to improve access to financial counselling and mental health support for people experiencing severe financial distress.
Amutenya also brought attention to water shortages in the Omuthiya Gwiipundi Constituency in the Oshikoto region, where over 40,000 inhabitants had reportedly lacked reliable access to water since July. He called for emergency water supplies and accelerated borehole drilling, alongside longer-term interventions to address shortages affecting households, schools, and livestock farmers. On agricultural support, he welcomed the mobilisation of N$179 million towards FMD containment but emphasized the need for effective veterinary services and support for affected farmers.
Other MPs, including Marta Itope and Martin Lukato, also contributed to the debate, calling for better monitoring of public spending, improved planning, and faster implementation of projects. Itope welcomed the N$140 million allocation for basic sports facilities and urged the Namibia Standards Institution to develop standards for alternative building materials. Lukato questioned whether the budget framework was doing enough to address unemployment and poverty, calling for greater investment in job-creating sectors and improved monitoring of government expenditure.
Key points
- A N$10 million relief fund has been proposed to support kapana vendors and small-scale traders affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Namibia.
