{"id":100554,"date":"2026-04-08T15:07:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T15:07:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/nam-diplomats-accused-of-double-dipping-in-mirt-budget"},"modified":"2026-04-08T15:27:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T15:27:43","slug":"nam-diplomats-accused-of-double-dipping-in-mirt-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/nam-diplomats-accused-of-double-dipping-in-mirt-budget","title":{"rendered":"Nam Diplomats Accused of Double-Dipping in MIRT Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Namibia. <\/strong><\/span>Rudolf Gaiseb<\/b><\/p>\n

Several members of the National Assembly last week probed the budget for international relations and trade regarding how funds are allocated and utilised across Namibia\u2019s foreign missions.<\/p>\n

Popular Democratic Movement leader McHenry Venaani expressed worry over diplomats\u2019 \u201cdouble-dipping\u201d.<\/p>\n

He said the diplomats at Namibia\u2019s foreign missions receive luxurious government vehicles at their foreign posts, but still simultaneously claim car allowances back home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been raising this problem for a number of years. These things that you are an ambassador in Germany, in Ghana, or somewhere, you have access to a vehicle, a government vehicle, a black Mercedes-Benz like a president, but in Namibia you are also getting a car allowance; can we afford it in this modern day and age?\u201d he said. Meanwhile, IPC parliamentarian Michael Mulunga questioned why budget amounts vary significantly between different embassies.<\/p>\n

He noted that while some missions have high allocations, others, such as New York, Lusaka and Gaborone, appeared to have zero balances in certain line items.<\/p>\n

He questioned what the amounts were for, even suggesting the varied amounts were merely for minor operational costs like \u201ccoffee and cookies\u201d. Furthermore, a major point of contention was the N$113 million allocated for the rental of properties for foreign missions. Additionally, IPC MP Elvis Lizazi argued that 36 years after independence, the government should be acquiring land and buildings rather than \u201cwasting resources\u201d on rent.<\/p>\n

He suggested that owning these properties would add to Namibia\u2019s gross domestic product and provide permanent solutions for diplomats.<\/p>\n

Responses<\/b><\/p>\n

The line minister, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, answered the questions, stating that she did not believe double-dipping was occurring and promised to verify the matter with her administrative team.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not actually think that we are double dipping; we used to, but not anymore,\u201d she said, adding that \u201cWhen you are at the mission, you are given a car. You are given a representative accommodation because you represent the country. You don\u2019t want to go there and start advertising poverty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Furthermore, she clarified that budget variances are standard; multilateral missions (such as those at the United Nations) naturally require more staff and resources than bilateral missions due to the complexity of their work.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it also depends on what the level of our interest is in a specific country. So that\u2019s why there\u2019s a variance. So, nobody is short-changed. They get what they need to do their work,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Regarding the property, the minister responded that while the government agrees in principle, property acquisition is extremely expensive.<\/p>\n

She noted that the government does acquire some properties every year as funds become available and is currently in the process of disposing of an oversized property in New York so the deputy ambassador can move into a more appropriate residence.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, Venaani also suggested that Namibia should move away from purely \u201cold ideological partners\u201d and open missions in strategic locations such as Australia, Dubai, and Qatar.<\/p>\n

Selma Ashipala-Musavyi agreed with the strategic importance of these locations but noted that maintaining full embassies is a massive financial burden, which is why Namibia currently only has 34 missions worldwide. To bridge this gap, the ministry is focusing on increasing the number of honorary consultants who provide local connections and expertise without the high overhead of a full diplomatic mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are thinking of opening about maybe two or three more, not this financial year but next financial year, and some of the countries that you have mentioned will be included among those three,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Numbers<\/b><\/p>\n

Tabling the budget last week, Ashipala-Musavyi announced that Namibia was repositioning its foreign policy and trade strategy.<\/p>\n

Motivating her ministry\u2019s N$1.37 billion budget in Parliament, Ashipala-Musavyi painted a picture of a world no longer driven only by traditional diplomacy but by fierce competition over minerals, technology, and economic influence.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this shifting geopolitical landscape, global competition is no longer confined to oil but extends to critical minerals as well as key technological inputs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

One of the most striking elements of the speech was the minister\u2019s warning about the emergence of what she called \u201celectro-state nations\u201d \u2013 countries gaining power through control of digital infrastructure and green technologies.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are also witnessing the emergence of what may be termed \u2018electro-state\u2019 nations, whose influence is derived from their dominance in digital infrastructure and green technologies,\u201d she said. The minister made it clear that Namibia\u2019s diplomatic missions are no longer just political outposts, but economic engines. \u201cNamibian diplomatic missions serve as the first line of defence in identifying both opportunities and threats,\u201d she said, adding that they must be \u201cadequately equipped\u201d to protect national interests.<\/p>\n

A massive 69.5% of the ministry\u2019s budget \u2013 over N$952 million \u2013 is allocated to foreign missions, underlining this shift toward economic diplomacy. This is one of the strongest indicators that government is prioritising trade, investment attraction and global positioning over traditional diplomacy.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Namibia<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Namibia. Rudolf Gaiseb Several members of the National Assembly last week probed the budget for international relations and trade regarding how funds are allocated and utilised across Namibia\u2019s foreign missions. Popular Democratic Movement leader McHenry Venaani expressed worry over diplomats\u2019 \u201cdouble-dipping\u201d. He said the diplomats at Namibia\u2019s foreign missions receive luxurious government vehicles […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":100553,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[233],"class_list":["post-100554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-namibia"],"yoast_head":"\nNam Diplomats Accused of Double-Dipping in MIRT Budget - Namibia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Rudolf Gaiseb Several members of the National Assembly last week probed the budget for international relations a ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/nam-diplomats-accused-of-double-dipping-in-mirt-budget\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Nam Diplomats Accused of Double-Dipping in MIRT Budget\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Rudolf Gaiseb Several members of the National Assembly last week probed the budget for international relations a ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/nam-diplomats-accused-of-double-dipping-in-mirt-budget\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Namibia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-08T15:07:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-08T15:27:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2026\/04\/sm_1775649445.036307.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"719\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/nam-diplomats-accused-of-double-dipping-in-mirt-budget#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/nam-diplomats-accused-of-double-dipping-in-mirt-budget\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Nam Diplomats Accused of Double-Dipping in MIRT Budget\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-08T15:07:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-08T15:27:43+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/nam-diplomats-accused-of-double-dipping-in-mirt-budget\"},\"wordCount\":834,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/nam-diplomats-accused-of-double-dipping-in-mirt-budget#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2026\/04\/sm_1775649445.036307.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"namibia\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/nam-diplomats-accused-of-double-dipping-in-mirt-budget#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/nam-diplomats-accused-of-double-dipping-in-mirt-budget\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/nam-diplomats-accused-of-double-dipping-in-mirt-budget\",\"name\":\"Nam Diplomats Accused of Double-Dipping in MIRT Budget - 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