Rudolf Gaiseb

The ballot papers for Namibia’s 2024 Presidential and National Assembly elections arrived at the Hosea Kutako International Airport yesterday. 

However, political party representatives expressed dissatisfaction with the entire printing process.

 “Reinforcing our transparency, we invited representatives from 21 participating political parties to observe the design, production and packaging of ballot papers in Johannesburg. The verification of sample ballot papers by these representatives concluded on 22 October 2024. 

The finalised ballot papers have since been printed, bound, packaged and sealed under their observation, and were transported to Namibia under secure conditions,” Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) chief electoral and referenda officer Petrus Shaama stated during a press conference at the airport.

However, the United Democratic Front (UDF), Namibia Democratic Party (NDP), Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), Affirmative Repositioning (AR), Swanu and Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF), amongst others, loudly voiced their dissatisfaction regarding the printing process in South Africa. 

NDP president Martin Lukato said there was no transparency from the ECN during the observation of the process. 

“There are very serious issues there. We need to make sure that when we brief the media – when we brief the nation – we must make sure that we do according to what transpired in South Africa. 

It was not an observation, but an inspection instead. Because, according to me, when we were there, we just inspected. The whole process, we could not be part and parcel [of it]. It was only the company that was printing. I can say it was not fully observational,” he said.  

United People’s Movement representative Francis Huish blamed a breakdown in the ECN’s communication style.

“There was a breakdown in communication, to be honest. The ECN could have done better with regards to communication. Before leaving for South Africa, we didn’t even know which hotel we were going to stay in. We didn’t know how we were going to sleep; we didn’t know anything.  And just to mention, none of us received any S&T, or anything like that. With regards to the printing, I cannot speak on the company itself, but what I can say about the company is that everything that I saw looked professional and good,” he stated.

Meanwhile, NEFF representative Teresia Hamurenge shared her experience.

“We were there. We were given the capability to actually assist them with the design, and finalise it. And we approved it. During the printing, we were there in the beginning when it was taking place. All of that sort was moving forward. But when it came to the packaging, the NEFF renounced itself from that because when we came into the warehouse, the packaging was already done. 

We were required to open any bundle. We opened only one box to verify if what is written on those white seals is what is actually in the box,” she narrated.

Contract

Shaama said the commission, through a market intelligence exercise, identified and contacted five companies, with two being local and three international.

The ECN did not reveal the names of the other four companies.

“Their responses were evaluated by the commission’s procurement management unit, which subsequently recommended the award to the commission’s procurement committee. Ren-Form CC, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, emerged as the most responsive bidder in terms of the set bidding specifications, and was awarded the contract”. 

Arrival 

At exactly 10h00 yesterday, the first aircraft carrying the ballot papers’ cargo landed at the airport, and was shortly followed by the arrival of political party representatives.

After setting up a press briefing area inside the terminal, the ECN announced “a change of plans. The cargo will be off-loaded and handled on the other side,” the commission’s spokesperson De Wet Siluka said, referring to the airport strip.

Under the subtle heat of the morning sun and the aircraft noises, the cargo containing a total of 50 pellets of ballot papers was off-loaded from the aircraft.

Namibian Police commissioner Petrus Swartz confirmed in an interview that a total of 3.2 million ballot papers were printed in South Africa, and transported and offloaded in Namibia.