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09:08Last update on: 13 Aug 2013
The Namibian
Tue 13 Aug 2013
SMS Of The Day * THIS nation is in dire need of a massive conference on housing. When we experienced a crisis in the education sector a crisis-control brain-storming conference was organised which resulted in the best deal ever for the Namibian child, nam Food For Thought * BOURGEOISIE has become a daily occupation if not the order of the day of the upper-echelons, President Hifikepunye Pohamba we urge you to revisit this unpatriotic geocentricism among your staff and the well-connected, for everybody to r Bouquets And Brickbats * COMMISSIONER of Prisons, can you please explain the strategies you use to appoint officers to certain positions? It is my observation that you are being fed with wrong information then you just promote individuals without making p SMS Of The Day * I THINK Paulus ‘The Rock’ Ambunda lost his belt because of this promoter and trainer. How can a world champion still be training at the Katutura Youth Complex where there is not enough equipment. I think they must follow the example of Ha Food For Thought * NAMIBIA Dairies are unable to match low prices of imported milk and this ultimately means the consumer will have to pay more for local milk. Look at the prices of the local chicken. All these profits are going in the pockets of a few in Bouquets And Brickbats * I AM pleased to hear that Cabinet has responded positively to the proposal of Namibia Dairies to support the industry. The restrictions which support the industry by reducing competition to ensure the survival of the industry is a SMS Of The Day * CEO’s golden handshakes. Somewhere on our statute books there must be a provision that if a board of directors suspends/dismisses a CEO without due regard to legal provision (substantive/procedural law) such board must carry the costs for Food For Thought * JACKY Asheeke was so right with her last column- why are the fathers of the dead children not being prosecuted? (Reference to the children who died in shack fires last week) Our justice system still protects men over women. In this cont Bouquets And Brickbats * ALEXACTUS Kaure, your column in Friday’s newspaper opened my eyes. One hardly finds impartial case study analysers in Namibia. Let’s not destroy the Polytechnic’s strong foundation (Tjivikua) as yet. At least wait until the transf SMS Of The Day * WHY doesn’t NBC listen when they are criticised? The little red chairs on Good Morning Namibia have done their part and are dirty especially at the arm rests. Please listen for once. You interview professionals and internationals on those Food For Thought * MINISTRY of Education, in order to address the shortages of teachers at primary schools why don’t you consider employing us who hold a diploma in lifelong learning and community education for teaching posts? We also did health education Bouquets And Brickbats * MY fellow Namibians, I am not a Swapo member but a third term for President Hifikepuye Pohamba will be a step closer towards attainment of Vision 2030. Believe me His Excellency has made crucial bold decisions, and I don’t regret
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NEWS - NAMIBIA | 2013-07-24
Nahas Angula
NDF creates another middleman
Shinovene Immanuel
AFTER recalling and allocating the controversial N$1,5 billion food tender, the Ministry of Defence has contradicted itself by establishing a logistic company that will act as a “middleman”.
The new company called August 26 Logistics will be under the umbrella of August 26 Holdings a company wholly-owned by the Ministry of Defence.
Minister of Defence Nahas Angula yesterday said in a statement that “in terms of affordability, it has become clear that the supply and delivery of rations to various NDF bases through a middleman is costly and unreliable.”
He added that having a middleman in a tender was “a compromise to the principle of secure supply and delivery at all times including during disasters”.
Angula also said that he has no problem with his top generals doing business with his ministry.
Prior to the withdrawal of the food tender, the Confidente weekly newspaper carried two reports stating that high-ranking officials in the defence ministry tampered with the tender system to favour their relatives and friends.
Despite the withdrawal and re-allocation of the food tender, independent sources are of the opinion that nothing has changed in terms of getting rid of the middleman and rooting out corruption.
The Namibian can reveal that there are several high-ranking officials who are tipped to rake in benefits from the controversial tender through the new supply company.
The current system is that the manufacturer supplies the tendering company which delivers the goods to the defence force.
The new system that is to be implemented in two months is that manufacturers supply August 26 Logistics which delivers to August 26 Holdings and this company then supplies the defence force.
That means the process now has more players in the supply chain than before.
Sources say the new system is likely to benefit a group of well-connected high-ranking officers who are known to The Namibian. The elite group is said to be set to rake in millions of dollars through orders from the new supply company.
The logistic company will be responsible in determining which companies will supply food to the ministry. Those in the know say procurement procedures might be botched in order to hand-pick favourite companies.
Angula said the current suppliers of rations to NDF military bases will continue doing so until 30 September 2013.
Asked to clarify his statement, Angula insisted yesterday that they want to cut out the middleman and August 26 is not a middleman company in the supply process as it is only a holding company. The new logistic company will have a management team, workers and will be outsourcing most of its work.
Asked whether the decision to give August 26 Holdings the N$1,5 billion tender had the Cabinet’s blessing, Angula said the tender did not need Cabinet approval as it was a ministerial business decision.
Question marks have been raised on the expertise August 26 has in order to undertake a billion dollar tender.
Angula said the company is preparing itself and getting necessary equipment for the work required. Due to the lack of expertise, Angula admitted they might invite partners in order to collaborate.
“I believe they can do it [job], it will also not be a problem if they can work with other technical partners to work together,” he said. He said long term plans include using the ministry owned farms in the country to produce food that will then be supplied to the army.
Asked about complaints that generals are alleged to be having a hand in the tenders, Angula said there was no problem as long as company policies are followed.
“If one of the generals has a 10 cattle and wants to sell them to us then that is a business deal. We don’t have a problem with that”.
Angula also said that the decision to give the tender to the ministry was also aimed at encouraging the use of locally produced food.
According to his statement, reliability and self-sustainability in the supply and delivery of rations to all NDF establishments can only be achieved by the ministry through its wholly-owned August 26 Logistics.
Angula said the new company’s goal was to supply and deliver quality rations on a sustainable and reliable basis with the aim of offering the same services to the government as a whole in the long run.
According to a news report in the weekly newspaper, several ‘briefcase companies’ were established a few months before they were awarded the largest chunk of the three year multi-million-dollar food tender for military bases across the country.
At the beginning of this year, The Namibian reported that a N$2 million tender for the supply of champagne glasses and garden tools for the Ministry of Defence raised suspicion of favouritism after it was classified ‘urgent’ and of a ‘security’ concern, requiring it to be exempted from the government’s open bidding tender process.
Minister of Defence Nahas Angula yesterday said in a statement that “in terms of affordability, it has become clear that the supply and delivery of rations to various NDF bases through a middleman is costly and unreliable.”
He added that having a middleman in a tender was “a compromise to the principle of secure supply and delivery at all times including during disasters”.
Angula also said that he has no problem with his top generals doing business with his ministry.
Prior to the withdrawal of the food tender, the Confidente weekly newspaper carried two reports stating that high-ranking officials in the defence ministry tampered with the tender system to favour their relatives and friends.
Despite the withdrawal and re-allocation of the food tender, independent sources are of the opinion that nothing has changed in terms of getting rid of the middleman and rooting out corruption.
The Namibian can reveal that there are several high-ranking officials who are tipped to rake in benefits from the controversial tender through the new supply company.
The current system is that the manufacturer supplies the tendering company which delivers the goods to the defence force.
The new system that is to be implemented in two months is that manufacturers supply August 26 Logistics which delivers to August 26 Holdings and this company then supplies the defence force.
That means the process now has more players in the supply chain than before.
Sources say the new system is likely to benefit a group of well-connected high-ranking officers who are known to The Namibian. The elite group is said to be set to rake in millions of dollars through orders from the new supply company.
The logistic company will be responsible in determining which companies will supply food to the ministry. Those in the know say procurement procedures might be botched in order to hand-pick favourite companies.
Angula said the current suppliers of rations to NDF military bases will continue doing so until 30 September 2013.
Asked to clarify his statement, Angula insisted yesterday that they want to cut out the middleman and August 26 is not a middleman company in the supply process as it is only a holding company. The new logistic company will have a management team, workers and will be outsourcing most of its work.
Asked whether the decision to give August 26 Holdings the N$1,5 billion tender had the Cabinet’s blessing, Angula said the tender did not need Cabinet approval as it was a ministerial business decision.
Question marks have been raised on the expertise August 26 has in order to undertake a billion dollar tender.
Angula said the company is preparing itself and getting necessary equipment for the work required. Due to the lack of expertise, Angula admitted they might invite partners in order to collaborate.
“I believe they can do it [job], it will also not be a problem if they can work with other technical partners to work together,” he said. He said long term plans include using the ministry owned farms in the country to produce food that will then be supplied to the army.
Asked about complaints that generals are alleged to be having a hand in the tenders, Angula said there was no problem as long as company policies are followed.
“If one of the generals has a 10 cattle and wants to sell them to us then that is a business deal. We don’t have a problem with that”.
Angula also said that the decision to give the tender to the ministry was also aimed at encouraging the use of locally produced food.
According to his statement, reliability and self-sustainability in the supply and delivery of rations to all NDF establishments can only be achieved by the ministry through its wholly-owned August 26 Logistics.
Angula said the new company’s goal was to supply and deliver quality rations on a sustainable and reliable basis with the aim of offering the same services to the government as a whole in the long run.
According to a news report in the weekly newspaper, several ‘briefcase companies’ were established a few months before they were awarded the largest chunk of the three year multi-million-dollar food tender for military bases across the country.
At the beginning of this year, The Namibian reported that a N$2 million tender for the supply of champagne glasses and garden tools for the Ministry of Defence raised suspicion of favouritism after it was classified ‘urgent’ and of a ‘security’ concern, requiring it to be exempted from the government’s open bidding tender process.
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