SONJA SMITHTHE Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating a top Eenhana council official after a contractor who was paid N$8 million failed to do the job.
Steve Mwaningange, a manager of infrastructure, town planning and technical services, resigned from the internal procurement committee where he was the deputy chairperson, on 27 March. has a copy of his resignation letter addressed to the council’s chief executive officer Walde Ndevashiya.
The ACC, is informed, is also investigating Mwaningange’s acquisition of various properties and cars since 2013. A Natis sheet in possession of The Namibian shows that Mwaningange has 15 cars under his identification card number 75032900028. Mwaningange earns N$372 091 per annum as the town manager of infrastructure, town planning and technical services, and that is equivalent to N$31 000 per month.
ACC chief public relations officer Josefina Nghituwamata told that the commission received complaints about alleged corruption pertaining to tender awards at the council, including the N$8 million.
The N$8 million was paid to Namibian Chemicals Cleaning Services (NCCS) in 2013 after the company won a tender to construct roads at the town’s areas 2 and 5 in 2013.
Namibian Chemicals Cleaning Services bid for N$17,8 million, and won the tender ahead of Onamagongwa Trading Enterprises (N$23 million), Namibia Street Maintenance & Road Construction (N$24, 5 million), and Emirates Trading (N$18,6 million).
Josef Ndakalimwe Ndafediva (33) told the ACC under oath that he was a co-owner of Namibian Chemicals Cleaning Services and that he resigned in 2013.
Ndafediva also told the ACC that he knew Mwaningange in connection with a tender the company received from Eenhana.
Leaked documents show that two months after the tender was advertised, Mwaningange wrote a recommendation letter to the procurement committee advising them to award it to the Namibian Chemical Cleaning Services since it was the lowest bidder. The documents state that the consultants appointed by the council to design and supervise the construction work wanted Onamagongwa Trading Enterprises to get the tender because of their extensive experience.
Mwaningange, according to the documents, objected to the consultants’ decision, and called for an emergency meeting, where it was agreed that Namibian Chemicals Cleaning Services would subcontract the job to a well-established contractor, Colas.
understands that the Eenhana Town Council had to appoint another company to do the job.
Mwaningange’s resignation letter said he was resigning from the procurement committee because he had observed that there were internal frictions that were causing “severe underperforming of my department in terms of capital projects’ implementations”.
Yesterday, Mwaningange, who claimed to be in Europe, said he was not aware of the ACC investigation concerning him.
“That’s also news to me, but if you have evidence as you are claiming, then just go ahead. The ACC never approached me, and if they are doing it, then it’s probably in secrecy, and I am glad that you have tipped me off,” he added.
He also denied owning a fleet of cars and six houses, saying: “Cars and houses in Namibia are registered with competent authorities. If you are claiming that, then you must have proof in terms of registration numbers and title deeds.”
When forwarded him the list of cars registered under his identification card number, Mwaningange went quiet. Former mayor Julia Shikongo said she never made such decisions.
“I never worked with money or contractors. Those responsible must explain it to you. And I cannot talk further now. I have a bereavement in the family,” she added.
The current Eenhana mayor, Amos Nangolo, confirmed that the council paid N$8 million, but no job was ever done.
He said he had received reports of irregularities from the way tenders were awarded.
“When this tender was awarded, I was not mayor then. But I found the matter, and we carried out some internal investigations to try and recover the money, but still we have not done so. The contractor disappeared with the money, just like that. That is why the case is now in the hands of the ACC,” Nangolo said.
He furthermore confirmed that some investigations carried out by the town council so far reveal that Mwaningange has many assets.
“I confirm that he has six properties, including a hotel called Gamon, as well as many cars. Some of these cars include three Mercedes-Benz models which are in Windhoek, an Amarok, a Prado, an Audi, a Quantum minibus, as well as many taxis operating at Ondangwa and Eenhana,” Nangolo claimed.
has a list of his properties and the erf numbers.
