Walvis Bay tender storm over pothole repairs Renthia Kaimbi  Local contractors in Walvis Bay have accused the municipality of bias and unfair practices in awarding pothole repair tenders. In letters dated June 2 and 5 2025, Kapepo Construction CC, Mweshiitya Trading CC, Shamrock Investment CC, and V Jay Construction CC said they were overlooked for five pothole repair contracts divided into lots.  They alleged the tenders went to four specific contractors without proper public advertising or consideration of established local firms. The contractors bypassed the municipality’s general manager of roads and building control, Theo Potgieter, and took their concerns directly to chief executive officer, Victoria Kapenda.  They claimed Potgieter indicated a preference for “only large companies” and said these appeared “predominantly white-owned.” “Such statements raise serious concerns about potential racial bias,” their letter reads. They said this approach excludes capable, long-serving local companies, many of which are black-owned or smaller enterprises. The contractors requested  the CEO to investigate the ownership structures of the companies awarded the tenders, check whether an official advertisement was issued, and confirm how many companies were invited to bid. They also urged the municipality to ensure tenders are circulated to all companies in its database or properly advertised to promote fair competition. In a separate response to Kapepo Construction CC dated 2 June 2025, Kapenda said, “The onus lies in the public entity to select the appropriate method of procurement for the procurement of goods, works or services, depending on the nature of the procurement,” citing Section 27 of the Public Procurement Act, 2015. Minutes of a council meeting on 24 June 2025 show that the municipality was still within the standstill period for awarding a routine road maintenance tender valued at about N$4 million.  The tender was advertised on 10 September 2024 and closed on 1 November 2024, attracting 19 bidders. Due to what the municipality called a “cumbersome procurement process”, the N$4.11 million contract was awarded on 12 June 2025 to a joint venture between Otjiwarongo-based Sisho’s Trading CC and DJJ Investment CC, after several extensions to the bid validity period. Council minutes also state that three additional contractors were appointed to assist with road repairs: Ghaba Investment CC, Vitz Investments CC and Walvis Bay Quality Control Services CC.  The contractors say this was done through a restricted bidding process, using direct requests for quotations authorised by Potgieter. Documents in the possession of the Windhoek Observer show Vitz Investments CC and Walvis Bay Quality Control Services CC, which were not among the original 19 bidders, received contracts worth N$923 195 and over N$1 million, respectively. Black-owned Ghaba Investment CC, part of the original 19 bidders, received a contract worth N$419 610, all excluding value added tax (VAT). Sources within the council, speaking anonymously, confirmed Vitz Investments CC has never done roadwork in the municipality. Kapepo Construction CC questioned why, in this case, only five companies were invited to submit quotations and why experienced local providers like themselves were excluded.

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Restricted Tsumeb tender faces probe demands Hertta-Maria Amutenja A restricted tender issued by the Tsumeb Municipality for the construction of 31 Build Together housing units in Nomtsoub Extension 8 is under scrutiny.  The Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement has accused the local authority of violating the Public Procurement Act. The N$3.1 million tender was issued on 23 May 2025. AR’s Oshikoto regional activist, Johannes John, claims the tender process was hidden from the public and that a specific company was allegedly preselected to win the contract. “We are taking issue with the manner in which they selected the companies. The Procurement Act says they may only select companies in an event where there are only limited suppliers or service providers available, or when they have run out of time. Now, to build those houses, there are a lot of businesses in Tsumeb with fitness and business certificates that are in good standing. And secondly, there are no issues with time because it has been standing for so long,” he said. John submitted a formal complaint to the Tsumeb Municipality last week.  The letter was addressed to the chief executive officer, mayor, elected councillors, and head of procurement.  He said the letter was emailed first and later hand-delivered, but he has not received any response. “It is deeply concerning that this tender was issued without public notification, violating the principles of transparency and fair competition. While our request comes just before the tender’s closing date, this timing is justified – the details were only recently intercepted by our internal intelligence unit, Eagle 25, due to a deliberate effort to conceal this process from the public,” the letter reads. AR is demanding the immediate cancellation of the restricted bidding process.  They want the tender reissued as an open bid, in line with Section 27 of the Public Procurement Act, which makes open bidding the standard procedure. The movement is also calling for the public release of the justification memo, the names of the six companies invited to bid, and any meeting minutes or resolutions that authorised the restricted bidding. Tsumeb Mayor Mathews Hangula confirmed receiving the complaint and admitted that the process might have had flaws. “I have seen a complaint from there, and one of the complaints is that during those restricted bidders, there were some companies that were handpicked, and some flaws were committed. I said I will study the complaint and at the same time also engage the office of the CEO, because ultimately, he is the one who approves the final bidder. If there were flaws committed, they will need to be rectified. But at this point in time, I cannot say there were administrative errors until I really get into the depth of the whole issue,” Hangula said. He added that his office only provides resources to the relevant department, which is responsible for identifying and engaging capable service providers. Efforts to get further comment from the Tsumeb Municipality were unsuccessful by the time of publication.

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