Andre Compion, at that time still Air Namibia's General Manager for Operations and Technical Services, said on Thursday that the long train journey from South Africa, combined with high summer temperatures, had affected the density of the fuel.

Jet A-1 is basically paraffin mixed with anti-freeze agents to prevent it freezing at high altitude, where temperatures drop to about -40 degrees Celsius.

"There was a problem with the density of the fuel, which had to be tested by the supplier's laboratory before it could be used," Compion said.

Without a certificate of fitness, the fuel may not legally be used because of the risks involved, pilots and industry sources said.

Compion said the problem was solved late on Thursday.

He said a ship with a consignment of Jet A-1 for BP's distribution was to dock at Walvis Bay over the weekend.

NLF controversially won a tender to supply 50 per cent of Namibia's annual 800 million litres of petrol and diesel requirements, which allows NFL to act as an agent to buy fuel from Sasol at a rebate, transport it to Namibia and re-sell it via Namcor.

Details of this emerged during a court case in which Namenco, a company controlled by lawyer Lucius Murorua and Mihe Gaomab II, contested Sasol's unilateral awarding of the tender to perform the middle-man function to NLF.

Documents submitted to the High Court in November last year showed that NLF is co-owned by current and former State House officials.

Dr Ndeutala Angolo, Secretary to former President Sam Nujoma, and two other State House officials, Naeman Amalwa and Andries Hungamo, were among the promoters of NLF, and were listed as the original directors in documentation submitted to court.

Others were NUNW Secretary-General Ranga Haikali and Sackey Shangala of the Office of the Attorney General, as well as South African Luke Mabaso.

Company records reflect that Mabaso, Amalwa and Shangala have since resigned as directors from NLF.

The current directors are listed as Haikali, James Hatuikulipi, Thomas Brian Phillips, Louis Bosch and Hendrik Jacobus Loubser.

The latter three are believed to be Sasol officials, but it is not clear whether they serve on NLF's Board of Directors on behalf of Sasol or in their private capacity.

* John Grobler is a freelance journalist; 081 240 1587

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