Lahja Nashuuta
The defence ministry has denied allegations by Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda that it spent close to N$8 million to buy a single car part.
In a widely-circulated video clip, he claimed the part was procured outside formal procurement.
He asserted that the part could have easily cost under N$30 000.
“This money was distributed in the pockets of those who are supporting a corrupt party for them to buy favours and things like that,” he charged.
He added: “I am just demonstrating to you how these people are continuing to steal. Voting for them on 27 November 2024 means the continuity of stealing and looting”.
However, the ministry’s executive director, Wilhelmina Shivute, came out guns blazing at an emergency press conference that was organised to specifically respond to Amupanda’s claims.
She confirmed that the N$8 million she approved was to procure parts for the servicing of about 14 vehicles that were used for the bilateral Peace Support Training Exercise between Namibia and Botswana, code-named ‘Exercise Hanganee’.
The said operation took place in the Omaheke region from 15 to 30 June 2023.
“It was thus necessary that the armoured personnel carriers of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF), called ‘Werwolf’, are serviceable for the exercise. That was the reason why a request was made to Windhoeker Machinen Fabrik to supply those spare parts… Windhoeker Machinen Fabrik is the manufacturer of the Werwolf vehicles. Their major repairs and spare parts are normally sourced from there,” Shivute said.
She added that while the documents shared by Amupanda indicate that the ministry was purchasing spare parts for the Werwolfs from Windhoeker Machinen Fabrik, it is true that the quantity indicated in the invoice is “one”.
“One does denote one spare part, but it means spare parts of one brand of vehicles. If the brands were more than one, it would have been reflected as such. We have in our possession the list of the said spare parts,” she said.
Amupanda displayed documentary evidence to back up his allegations.
Invoices shared by the politician show the quantity as one ‘part by the name ‘Werwolf’ at the cost of around N$8 million.
Shivutesaid even though all the documents shared by Amupanda and those in “our possession make mention of spare parts [in plural], he chose to mislead the public by falsely accusing the ministry of having bought one spare part costing N$8 million”.
She denied that the payment had already been made for the single part to Windhoeker Machinen Fabrik.
“I would like to inform the public that, despite the fact that the paperwork for the supply of the spare parts was completed, no payment was made because it was during the closure of the financial year 2022/23,” she said.
She stated that the NDF is not involved in politics, and ensures that the soldiers remain apolitical for them to be able to serve the government and public without fear, favour or bias. “The ministry does not carry out any political activities, nor does it generate any funds in favour of or on behalf of any political party,” she said.