President Mbumba refused to sign the bills against same-sex marriage that Swapo lawmaker Jerry Ekandjo proposed. He made this decision because these bills might clash with the Constitution. Christine //Hoebes, who serves as Minister in the Presidency, shared this news with parliament members on Thursday. She spoke up after Ekandjo asked for updates about his proposed legislation. Ekandjo had earlier claimed //Hoebes was dodging questions by staying away from parliament.
The Minister explained that President Mbumba would not approve bills meant to change how Namibia defines "spouse" and "marriage." These bills aimed to block same-sex marriages and make being gay illegal in Namibia. The National Assembly passed these bills, but they failed to win support from two-thirds of lawmakers. Plus, they created problems with constitutional rights. Ekandjo first brought these bills forward in 2023. His legislation wanted to punish anyone breaking same-sex marriage laws with either a huge N$100,000 fine or jail time of up to six years.
//Hoebes noted that after President Geingob died, President Mbumba learned about these bills. Despite many pressing national duties, he reviewed them carefully to check if they met all constitutional standards. "The president worried whether these bills followed proper law-making processes. He needed to know if they would pass constitutional tests and meet all required procedures," //Hoebes told parliament members. She added that the bills failed to meet basic standards for how laws should be written in Namibia.
The Minister pointed out that President Mbumba had valid concerns about constitutional problems these bills might cause. Nobody reviewed them for constitutional issues before lawmakers voted on them. The president could not approve legislation that might break constitutional rules. //Hoebes stated that his decision matches both the exact words and the deeper meaning of the Namibian Constitution.
The Minister explained that President Mbumba would not approve bills meant to change how Namibia defines "spouse" and "marriage." These bills aimed to block same-sex marriages and make being gay illegal in Namibia. The National Assembly passed these bills, but they failed to win support from two-thirds of lawmakers. Plus, they created problems with constitutional rights. Ekandjo first brought these bills forward in 2023. His legislation wanted to punish anyone breaking same-sex marriage laws with either a huge N$100,000 fine or jail time of up to six years.
//Hoebes noted that after President Geingob died, President Mbumba learned about these bills. Despite many pressing national duties, he reviewed them carefully to check if they met all constitutional standards. "The president worried whether these bills followed proper law-making processes. He needed to know if they would pass constitutional tests and meet all required procedures," //Hoebes told parliament members. She added that the bills failed to meet basic standards for how laws should be written in Namibia.
The Minister pointed out that President Mbumba had valid concerns about constitutional problems these bills might cause. Nobody reviewed them for constitutional issues before lawmakers voted on them. The president could not approve legislation that might break constitutional rules. //Hoebes stated that his decision matches both the exact words and the deeper meaning of the Namibian Constitution.
