Works and Transport Minister Veikko Nekundi fervently denies concocting a plan to see the political demise of Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare. 

“I and comrade prime minister [Ngurare] held a burial of the past. We are focused on building our party and delivering on the mandate for why the party was elected and why we are accordingly deployed,” Nekundi was quoted as saying by a local publication.

Ngurare resumed official duties last week.

Meanwhile, speaking to this publication last week on the sidelines of a management meeting, 

Nekundi also defended the Animal Visibility Pilot Project amid public criticism that it is not a national priority, no due processes were followed and that the tender was awarded to one of his relatives or proxies.

Nekundi officially launched the project at Embumba village in Oshikuku last month to help reduce animal-related road crashes.

The initiative will initially distribute reflective collars to improve the visibility of domestic animals on or near roads, particularly during dawn and dusk when visibility is low. Reflective ear tags will be introduced at a later stage as the project expands.

The pilot targets the Omusati, Oshana and Khomas regions, which together account for a high proportion of animal-related road accidents, and forms part of the ministry’s broader road safety strategy.

Horse’s mouth

“First and foremost, the Namibian nation must be assured that everything that this person does is to serve the interests of Namibia and the interests of Namibians,” Nekundi said.

The project, which involves fitting donkeys with reflective jackets to improve visibility at night, has come under fire after it emerged that only about 700 animals have so far received reflectors, with reports that some were later removed.

However, Nekundi said the ministry has a duty to act decisively in addressing road safety, especially accidents involving animals.

“The public interest is the high rate of accidents and the high rate of deaths emanating from these accidents. Chief among these accidents is a collision between vehicles and domestic animals,” he said.

Not a waste

The outspoken Nekundi also dismissed claims that the project was a waste of public money, saying the funds came from an existing road safety budget that has long been used for advertising with little impact.

The minister revealed that the National Road Safety Council spent N$33 million in the previous financial year on billboards and media campaigns.

“Did we see a decline in road accidents? No. But that N$33 million is gone,” he said.

For the current financial year, he said between N$53 million and N$55 million was again allocated for road safety advertising.

“So we just took a portion of it just to bring more measures to promote road safety. It’s not the money coming from someone else,” Nekundi said.

He said the same funds are now also being used to install live-streaming cameras at blind spots and to procure dash cameras for law enforcement officers.

“We either use it that way, or we just pay for adverts and billboards. It’s our choice what we want to do as a nation,” he said.

Tender

Nekundi was particularly firm in rejecting allegations that the tender for the reflectors was awarded to his brother or another family member.

“When I saw that [allegations], I also asked. I have asked the Road Safety Council to tell me who the companies are,” he said while showing the conversation regarding his request to the reporter.

Nekundi said the names of the owners meant nothing to him and that he has no relationship with them.

“Up to now, even after I’ve read it, I will not be able to tell you who these owners are,” he said.

He named two individuals listed as owners of the companies and said he does not know either of them.

“The owner is France Quetta (Heke Quetta). I don’t even know who that person is. The other one is Mrs Hamutena Mupiri. I don’t know who Mupiri is,” Nekundi said.

He added that if there are claims of family links, they should be properly investigated.

“Maybe somebody must investigate to what extent this person is related to me,” he said.

Nekundi said the allegations are politically motivated and linked to internal battles within the ruling party.

“Everything is aimed for the 2027 Swapo congress,” he said.

Not summoned

The minister also dismissed reports that he had been summoned by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah over the issue or faced possible dismissal.

“How does the President summon you to be fired, but he tells you, ‘Please come with the State aircraft’?” Nekundi wanted to know.

He clarified that his meeting with the president involved discussions with international investors on the Katima Mulilo airport project.

“That is our discussion with the president and these investors. Nothing to do with that,” he said.

– ljason@nepc.com.na