The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is investigating the Keetmanshoop Municipality following alleged irregularities surrounding a N$3.4-million service level agreement (SLA) awarded to the close corporation JJF Investments and Bellatrix SME Finance.
According to documents and council resolutions seen by The Namibian, the agreement relates to the supply of prepaid electricity meters for energy management contract clients at Aranos through the Keetmanshoop Electricity Business Unit (Kebu).
The Ministry of Finance also confirmed on Wednesday that it had received information alleging “non-compliance with the Public Procurement Act” and subsequently launched an investigation.
“We were tipped off about the matter. We conducted our investigation and after our investigation we deemed the matter to be handled by the ACC,” ministry spokesperson Wilson Shikoto confirms.
The exact details of the irregularities have not yet been made clear. both the ACC and the ministry have not explained what the irregularities or non-compliance issues in the deal are.
ACC spokesperson Marina Matundu confirmed to The Namibian yesterday that it “has received the report regarding the matter involving the Keetmanshoop Municipality, and the matter is currently under investigation.”
A list of active SLAs approved by the municipality indicates that JJF Investments and Bellatrix SME Finance were appointed under Kebu at a monthly cost of N$688 160 over a five-month trial period running from December 2025 to 31 May, bringing the total contract value to N$3.44 million.
Finance minister Ericah Shafudah in April informed the local authority that the matter had been referred to the ACC.
In the letter, Shafudah say the Procurement Policy Unit investigated the procurement process to determine whether the provisions of the Public Procurement Act had been complied with.
“Following this, the findings of the investigation and recommendations were made in accordance with the Act to refer the matter to ACC to investigate the matter,” the letter reads.
Keetmanshoop management committee councillor Pieter Skeyer told The Namibian yesterday that he does not know much about the deal and will have to do some research.
“If there was wrong doing, the processes and systems available should be enacted to find out what was wrong about the agreement,” he said.
Keetmanshoop acting chief executive Deseree Boois has not yet responded to questions sent to her on Wednesday.
Keetmanshoop Swapo local authority councillor Emrico Blaauw said yesterday that the people responsible should face the law.
He said if anything is found to be done outside the confines of the law, those responsible in their personal capacities should be made to pay back if they put the name of the council in disrepute.
“When these things happen I want people to know how the previous leadership messed up our municipality,” Blaauw said.
Shafudah’s letter informs the municipality that “the matter has been referred to the ACC for further investigations’’.
Separate council resolutions seen by The Namibian show that the municipality, through Kebu, and JJF Investments were also involved in an electrification project for 800 houses at Aranos valued at N$5.2 million.
The project was to be implemented through an energy management contract framework, with the Aranos Town Council expected to reimburse the municipality through monthly payments of N$500 000 over 10 months.
