PDM members of parliament challenge Venaani’s travel ban amid internal party disputes

Some members of parliament under the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) party seem to have defied their president’s order against travelling.

Party president McHenry Venaani gave a stern warning against travelling, saying MPs who travel abroad without his permission are doing so for the daily subsistence allowance.

“Those that travel without my permission know their missions are just daily subsistence allowance seeking and it’s not justifiable,” he said on Sunday

His comments come after reports that several PDM parliamentarians continue to travel abroad despite a recent ban imposed by Venaani.

Two weeks ago, Venaani directed that PDM MPs should not travel abroad and anyone who does so should consider themselves fired. Travel is banned until the upcoming elections.

The Namibian was informed that immediately after Venaani announced the ban, party vice president Jennifer van den Heever and parliamentarian Winnie Moongo travelled. A party source claimed Moongo travelled to Armenia with a parliamentary standing committee on gender equality, social development and family affairs. Moongo did not answer her mobile phone yesterday.

Two other party parliamentarians, Loide Iipinge and Elma Dienda, travelled to Uganda and Zambia, respectively, on Sunday.

Van den Heever says her trip was arranged before Venaani announced his ban of foreign trips. She says if she has to travel, she will travel with Venaani’s permission.

“I did not go against the directive, because that is the impression that is being created,” she says.

Asked about her trip, Iipinge says: “Please, go back to your source and get more information.”

Dienda on Sunday denied that she had travelled.

Three PDM sources say party legislators Maximilliant Katjimune and Charmaine Tjirare are set to travel abroad soon.

“Until a letter is circulated to the secretariat of the parliament preventing all party members from travelling, no other person can ban you, so the chief whip has not written a communiqué. We are still very much employed by the parliament of Namibia,” Tjirare says, adding that MPs do not travel to get an allowance.

Katjimune says he cannot discuss the party’s internal matters with journalists.

“This information was not supposed to be with you, so I will be in breach of confidential party information,” he says. Another parliamentarian says the trips come with money MPs need to to pay off their vehicles as they are uncertain if they will return to parliament next year.

Another party leader says the party president does not have power to prohibit members of parliament from travelling to fulfil parliamentary work.

The legislator says the party’s parliamentary caucus took a decision that foreign trips should be approved by the chief whip, not by the president.

“Venaani just decided one day to come on the group and write there that we must now first consult him. It was not a decision of the whole parliamentary caucus. That’s why people are fighting it a bit,” the MP says.

Political analyst Henning Melber says a party president should not set the rules; that responsibility lies with the organs of the party.
“Establishing rules through debates enhances their credibility and fosters participation in decision-making processes.”

Political commentator Ndumba Kamwanyah says the ongoing defiance of Venaani’s directive raises significant questions about internal discipline within political parties and the constitutional powers of party leaders.

“While he may have the authority to issue directives within the party framework, MPs have dual roles — they serve both their party and the broader electorate in parliament. Official parliamentary duties, including international travel, fall under the jurisdiction of the National Assembly.”