By: Pandeni Lenga
The National Assembly descended into unprecedented scenes yesterday afternoon as Speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila lost control of the House, prompting a handover to Deputy Speaker Phillipus Katamelo.
The Scene
What began as a routine parliamentary sitting quickly unravelled when tensions boiled over.
SWAPO chief whip Hamunyera Hambyuka erupted in the chamber, his outburst adding to a growing sense of disorder that has characterised the Eighth Parliament since its inception.
MPs refused to settle.
The Speaker’s calls for order went unheeded.
The atmosphere, already tense following a historic motion of no confidence tabled against the Speaker last week, became untenable.
The Handover
Recognising she could no longer command the House, Speaker Kuugongelwa-Amadhila invoked a standing rule and handed over the chair to Deputy Speaker Phillipus Katamelo.
The contrast could not have been starker.
As Katamelo approached the Speaker’s chair, MPs rose in a standing ovation with cheers echoing through the chamber.
The Deputy Speaker, who has presided over the House with a different reputation for fairness and efficiency, restored order almost instantly.
One MP was heard remarking: “It is always a pleasure seeing him in that seat.”
The Context
Today’s scenes did not emerge in a vacuum.
They are the culmination of months of dysfunction, procedural battles, and growing discontent with the Speaker’s leadership.
The Motion of No Confidence
On Wednesday, IPC MP Michael Mulunga moved a historic motion to remove Speaker Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, the first of its kind in independent Namibia.
The motion accuses her of failing to apply the National Assembly’s standing rules fairly and impartially.
The Speaker has deferred ruling on the motion, citing the impossibility of ruling on a matter concerning her own position.
SWAPO deputy secretary general Uahekua Herunga responded defiantly, vowing that the Speaker would be removed “over our dead bodies.”
The Growing Dysfunction
The Eighth Parliament has been marked by repeated disorder. On 17 June 2026, proceedings collapsed following disagreements about rulings from the Speaker.
Question Backlog: The Speaker’s office has confirmed that about 550 questions have been tabled since the start of the current parliament, but only 166 have been disposed of.
MPs have noted that when Deputy Speaker Katamelo presides, the House can cover up to 10 questions, but when Kuugongelwa-Amadhila presides, only five are covered because “she prolongs her rulings and interjects more often.”
Calls for Intervention: The Asoli Progressive Party has called on President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to intervene in what it describes as “chaos, anarchy and theatrics” unfolding in the National Assembly.
The Contrast
The scenes laid bare the leadership crisis at the heart of Parliament.
IPC parliamentarian John-Louw Mouton has defended the opposition’s walkouts, saying the opposition’s increased representation gives it the ability to deny the National Assembly the 49-member quorum required for voting.
NDP leader Martin Lukato has called for a non-partisan speaker who can treat all political parties equally.
What It Means
The events of this afternoon are not merely procedural theatre.
They represent a symbolic vote of no confidence, without a ballot. When one leader cannot hold the room, and another is welcomed with genuine enthusiasm, the message is unmistakable: authority is not just about the gavel.
It is about respect. It is about trust.
The question on every observer’s mind is this: who holds power accountable?
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