Windhoek
Some councillors in collusion with City of Windhoek senior managers are trying by hook or crook to revive two lapsed tenders, worth N$91 million, to develop residential plots in Khomasdal and Wanaheda, New Era can reveal.
Windhoek City Council was expected to adjudicate over the bids within a period of 90 days, but this mandatory period lapsed, invalidating the exercise.
The city’s legal adviser also advised the councillors that the tenders should be nullified, because the 90 days during which council was expected to pronounce itself had expired, but some influential councillors – who allegedly stand to profit from the illegal land deals – stood their ground and ignored the legal advice.
Authoritative sources privy to inside information on the seemingly clandestine land deals are saying bids were sent out to developers last year to construct six blocks of residential flats in Khomasdal and Wanaheda in deals worth N$90,5 million, for which several developers submitted bids to develop the land.
But strangely a number of councillors, in collaboration with some senior managers at the City of Windhoek, are reportedly trying to revive and rig the invalidated tender and select a preferred bidder, as they allegedly stand to pocket hefty kickbacks.
One senior manager was also reportedly promised a cushy job at the municipality should be turn a blind eye to the corrupt and seemingly criminal land deal.
The councillors involved – in what has been described as a textbook example of corruption – have in turn promised to scratch the backs of some managers who tampered with the paperwork to legitimate the tender that caused an uproar.
Thirty-two bidders were last year “disqualified for not meeting tender conditions and requirements”, and a condition was prefixed to the shortlisted bidders to first settle their arrears and service accounts prior to the sales agreement. Another pre-condition was that successful bidders should sign the Deed of Sale within 30 days of the Council Resolution had council pronounced itself, which it did not, according to sources that requested anonymity lest there be reprisals. Attempts to revive the transaction now face subtle resistance, but sources say the entire deal is criminal and could expose the Windhoek City Council to a civil lawsuit by the developers that were disqualified by the city council.
“They (losing tenderers) could take us to court,” warned a source who confirmed that some councillors and City of Windhoek managers are trying to revive what many see as an illegal land deal that could expose council to a lawsuit.
Ludwig Narib, the strategic executive for urban planning and property development, yesterday said he is aware of the minutes related to the said land deal – which he described as “public knowledge”, but referred all inquiries to Joshua Amukugo, the municipal spokesman, whose phone was diverted to voicemail for the duration of yesterday afternoon.