Rudolf Gaiseb
The Ministry of Health and Social Services says the new Namibia Institute of Pathology Limited (NIP) manufacturing hub is above board and geared towards expansion to the SADC market.
The hub manufactures specimen collection tubes locally, aiming to ensure a stable supply, reduce reliance on external supply chains and ensure uninterrupted health services for the 80% of the Namibian population dependent on public health.
Health minister Esperance Luvindao told Parliament last Thursday that phase one of the project, which started operations this year, provides products for self-use.
“It ensures consistent availability of the tubes to the health practitioners for sample collection in rendering life-saving medical services and, in turn, ensuring that the NIP can execute its mandate without disruptions or overreliance on external supply chains. This value chain approach also supports other operators in the sector,” she said.
Phase Two of the NIP’s injection moulding project’s commercial endeavour targets suppliers in Namibia as well as the SADC of over 417 million people and will do this through the SADC-driven sustainability initiatives such as pool procurement.
“The long-term societal benefits include the introduction of a new industry with the new locally manufactured products and local skill sets, such as in-moulding technicians/engineering and value chain services such as quality assurance, marketing, logistics and supply chain management,” she said.
Meanwhile, Luvindao was questioned on 11 September 2025 by Independent Patriots for Change parliamentarian Lilani Brinkman about the legalities of the N$15 million backed innovation hub, which this publication reported included approximately a N$3 million grant from the European Union and Germany to produce essential laboratory consumables, including virus specimen tubes and urine/stool cups.
Brinkman probed whether this construction falls within the statutory mandate of the Namibia Institute of Pathology as defined under Section 5 of the NIP Act and whether the NIP Act has been amended to include manufacturing activities.
Brinkman also probed the conflict of interest of the NIP Board Chairperson, who is a co-owner of 20 Twenty Financial Solution PTY Limited, a private company currently offering financial services to NIP employees for affordable housing.
“Was this interest disclosed in compliance with Sections 234 and 241 of the Companies Act and Section 247 of the NIP Act?” she questioned.
In response, Luvindao said manufacturing hub supports the provision of medical laboratory services to the public and private sectors, enhancing NIP’s supply chain, diversification and sustainability as a commercial public enterprise.
“To succeed as a national medical laboratory service provider toward saving lives and reducing the burden of disease, NIP needs to implement innovative ways to render uninterrupted and speedy service,” she said.
Luvindao confirmed that the purchased injection moulding machinery meets all the applicable EU safety, health and environmental protection requirements set out in relevant legislation, most notably the EU Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC).
“As such, the specimen collection tubes are designed with features to ensure safety standards, such as leak-proof seals and biohazard containment,” she added.
At the same time, about the ED, she said that when 20twenty Financial Solutions publicly announced that the chairperson was one of its shareholders, NIP, through its corporate governance, instructed the chairperson to declare a conflict of interest in terms of the Conflict-of-Interest Policy of the institution.
“This obligation was duly executed; the board chairperson disclosed the perceived conflict of interest in relation to shareholding in 20Twenty Financial Solution PTY Limited, and verifiable declarations are placed on records of the institution,” Luvindao said.
Luvindao noted that the minutes of the conflict-of-interest declarations are managed by the office responsible for governance and that the policy is approved by the board and its implementation is an administrative matter. When asked to disclose by Brinkman, he said that individual declarations are not necessary agenda discussions for the board.