Govt declares war over Neckartal

THE Neckartal Dam groundbreaking ceremony went ahead as planned last Friday in //Karas Region while in Windhoek the Tender Board was sitting to decide whether to halt the project or to let it roll pending a new legal challenge by Vinci Orascom on the re-awarding of the tender to Salini SpA.

• LUQMAN CLOETE and TILENI MONGUDHI

Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry John Mutorwa, who officiated at the ceremony, said that the government will fight any legal challenge against its decision to re-award the N$2,8 billion tender for the construction of the Neckartal Dam to Salini SpA. Mutorwa also said that the groundbreaking ceremony symbolises no turning back on the tender.

“There is no turning back, hence we have crossed the Rubicon,” Mutorwa said, adding that the government had already signed the required legal documents with Salini SpA.

Sources said Mutorwa’s frustrations are born from the fact that every day the implementation of the tender is delayed, the government incurs losses of N$1 million.

The minister accused those challenging the re-awarding of the tender of having hidden agendas. “Some people with selfish interests, hidden agendas, maybe politically motivated, simply want to frustrate government activities. But we are ready to face any legal challenges as we did in the past,” he said.

Tender Board sources told The Namibian that the Board could not decide on halting the process because it allegedly did not have a quorum but is expected to meet again today at 14h00 to make a decision on the issue.

Vinci-Orascom, the company which emerged top during the initial evaluation process decided to challenge the Tender Board’s decision to award the tender to Salini SpA in court. This is the second time Vinci-Orascom has sought court intervention in the award after pulling out during its first attempt.

The Namibian understands that the Tender Board and government attorneys have agreed with Vinci-Orascom’s lawyers to make available material of the process leading to the decision to re-award the tender to Salini SpA after which the decision whether to further challenge the award will be determined by the outcome of the review of the process.

The Tender Board is said to have agreed to hand over recorded, handwritten and typed minutes of all proceedings leading to the re-awarding of the tender tomorrow.

//Karas governor Bernadus Swartbooi described the groundbreaking as a day signalling the departure from poverty to prosperity for the region. “It (dam project) is the liberation for those who have long hungered,” Swartbooi added.

Referring to rumours that certain big companies have already been earmarked for sub-contracts, Swartbooi reminded Salini SpA that the people of the south must be given preference when it comes to sub-contracting tenders.

“While it is a national project, it will be unacceptable and wrong for the people of the South not to benefit as employees. We have big companies in the region, which have the capacity of sub-contracting jobs in transport, catering and supply of quarry,” Swartbooi remarked, adding that the region will be “unhappy and angry” if its people only get “peanuts”.

Against this background, Swartbooi urged Salini SpA to be transparent and to work closely with the regional leadership.

However, Swartbooi was quick to add that since this is a national project, all Namibians should benefit from it.

“Of course it is a national project, and we welcome the fact that the entire Namibian nation is to benefit but charity begins at home,” Swartbooi noted.

Speaking at the same event, Salini SpA area manager, Carlesimo Leopoldo said he took cognisance of the project’s importance to the country and the region and pledged the company’s full commitment to successfully implement it.

Furthermore, Leopoldo pledged that the company will use as much natural resources of the country as possible for the implementation of the project, adding that this was in the interest of the country.

Saying that the project is a great boost for the economy of the country and region, Leopoldo said that the company will not only complete the project and leave but will also ensure that skills transfer takes place.