Maiden speech: Infrastructure, aviation and accountability
Speech Nelson Tuhafeni Kalangula at the National Assembly on 10 April 2025
Honourable speaker, I, Nelson Kalangula, rise as a shadow minister of works and transport and a member of this August House, representative of Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) and the entire people of Namibia.
It has always been an uphill journey walking on ground of victimisation based on where one originates from – today a child who comes from different backgrounds stands to represent the whole of Namibia.
Namibia is filled with many challenges and through this maiden speech I stand and vouch to speak on behalf of the many fellow aviators who lost their jobs as a result of Air Namibia’s closure. I vouch to speak for the aircraft engineers, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, aviation regulators, pilots, (especially those flying in war-torn countries). I shall speak for all aviators who face the difficult task of finding means to feed their families.
I will stand in representation to clarify and make them understand what their jobs entail, how discrimination plays a part in the aviation industry, how security and safety of the motherland’s sovereignty remains compromised through the regulating bodies.
It is upon me and those who understand aviation in this honourable house to make aviation attractive to a child from a difficult background and still make them grow in that industry. In as much as it brings joy in reintroducing our national pride and legacy of AN, a full understanding of the AN history should be brought forward with a highlight on the billions of taxpayers’ money lost in the past through bailouts. We can simply not attempt to cure a disease by ignoring its root cause. As a former Namibian Air Force helicopter pilot, I stand to speak with reference to the challenges I encountered during my time of serving, some of which still persists to date, it is worth pointing out that representation made for those who do not have a voice in uniform, has now been amplified to parliament. Flying and participating in missions over the high mountains of Kunene region during the drought relief programmes and vaccination campaigns, delivering food and medicine to villages only accessible by helicopter, taught and drove me to fall in love with serving. For that I have the air force to thank, they shaped this flight lieutenant.
Honourable members, a country cannot develop without infrastructure building, it is a cornerstone of any development of any country. This budget must cater for and ensure that Namibian engineers, architects, quantity surveyors, and other specialist consultants are given an opportunity to take lead through projects in the building and development of our motherland. Focus should be placed on key economic routes, to either dualise or upgrade roads to bitumen or tar, as an effort of reducing the gravel roads to and from towns with services for all Namibians, for example, the C14 (MR 36) route (from Walvis Bay – Solitaire – Maltahohe – Helmeringhausen all the way to Goageb). This route is the shortest transport route to and from South of Namibia in connection with Erongo region, over the years this ought to have been given priority in respect of infrastructure development.
I have taken notice of the high budget allocation of over N$270 million on feasibility studies in vote 24 of transport, taken from the overall N$2.7 billion. I remain curious to see how these feasibility studies funds are allocated and to what effect.
My curious mind is further directed on the approach taken by the government and contractors on upgrades of airports such as Mpacha and the likes, with emphasis on holding to account those who abandon projects after being fully paid, as was done in 2017. Honourable members, I speak to consider with utmost respect the outcries and problems of the electorates who gave us seats in this August House. For them, we have to take action, account and be answerable to their ‘what did you do?’ question at the end of this term. We are here to make sure that their cries are heard, and action is taken. Honourable speaker, honourable members, I have taken note of the executive on placing priority in applying what we promised to grant the people through our IPC manifesto, the reduction of the ministries is a very important act to save on government expenditure. I further ask that more savings on government funds/expenditure be made, and such residual funds be channeled to infrastructure building and nation development.
Additionally, this provokes the thought for a call to reduce state-owned enterprises (SOEs) that signify duplication of services, which has over the years contributed to a high government expenditure and billions of taxpayers’ funds through bailouts. Accountability has been observed to have been at a minimal over the past years, it is now worth catapulting into effect within these SOEs going forward. Therefore, careful consideration is needed before introducing another SOE, the old disease has to be cured with a root cause approach, (Albert Einstein once defined insanity). While demonstrating a clear appetite to save through careful fund allocation and expenditure, it will be prudent of the executive through this budget to focus on every penny and its allocation.
I hereby stand to touch further on the appropriation bill that was presented by the minister of finance in parliament on 27 March 2025, with the guidance of the budget documents later shared to the MPs for scrutiny. Vote 23 (works – N$805 301 000) and vote 24 (transport – N$2 707 015 000) under the sector of infrastructure:
Feasibility studies from vote 24 of transport, a total of N$275 926 000, (a rise from N$170 016 000, financial year 2024/25) is budgeted for feasibility studies, design and supervision on various divisions on transport vote 24 alone.
The highest feasibility study is evident in the railway Infrastructure division, which stands at N$196 426 000 (N$78 516 000 for the financial year 2024/25), suggesting that major infrastructure projects are being planned by the ministry.
Fees for feasibility and design are usually 20% to 30% of the total professional fee, with supervision charged throughout the construction phase. The scale of such professional fees should ideally correlate with the value of the planned capital works, therefore, an allocation of N$275.9 million would suggest a project portfolio well in excess of N$3 billion, if standard fee scales are applied. Honourable speaker, allow me to emphasise that this amount does not include construction works. It is for professional services only — primarily rendered by engineers, architects, quantity surveyors and other specialist consultants.
Honourable speaker, for clarity and better understanding of the budget, I must ask how did the ministry arrive at the figure of N$275.9 million for professional services? Is there a comprehensive list of the projects tied to this allocation so that we can understand the reasoning behind it? Can the honourable minister please provide this honourable house with a list of those projects, along with their projected construction timelines and budgets?
Do these cost estimates align with the gazetted professional fees in Namibia? And if so, what is the estimated total capital value of the planned infrastructure projects from which this fee is derived?
What percentage of this amount is expected to go to Namibian professionals and local consulting firms, and how much — if any — is expected to leave the country through foreign consultancy appointments?
What value-for-money mechanisms and technical oversight structures are in place to ensure that this money is not spent on duplicated or inflated services?
How does the Ministry of Finance and Labour Relations justify this scale of allocation for non-capital items, especially in a time when resources are scarce, and the nation faces urgent socio-economic challenges?
Was this figure subjected to treasury vetting and cost-efficiency assessments, or was it merely submitted and accepted as-is?
The Government Garage division is budgeted at N$115 989 000 in the current financial year 2025/26, with a feasibility study budgeted at N$4 000 000 for the same financial year. The revised estimate for the financial year 2024/25 was at N$5 000 000. With the Government Garage challenges as reported in the recently written article of 30 March 2025 in the local newspapers, which stated that 26 sports utility vehicles were bought at a total price of N$26 million (N$1.3 million per vehicle) due to high cost of servicing old cars.
What value do the feasibility studies hold in improving processes and plans at a division faced with administrative challenges like Government Garage, what is the value for money invested in the feasibility studies in that past?
As I conclude, honourable speaker, it is now upon all of us, honourable members, to ensure that this budget works for our citizens, at the same time engage for the best of all Namibians regardless of party colors or affiliation, this is a call to the old motto ‘One Namibia, One Nation’ (borrowed from Zambia’s former late president Kenneth Kaunda), while at it, we should remind ourselves that ‘Namibia is all we have’.
I thank my wife and children, our IPC members and its leadership, and all fellow Namibians for their support and confidence in this representation. I salute all those who believe in evolution and change, in the same vein, I thank all the Namibians who accorded us the opportunity to serve them. Namibia, change has indeed manifested.
I thank you.
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