IPC won’t disclose its funders – Itula

…IUM official confirms renting 10 cars out to IPC

Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) president Panduleni Itula says his party will never disclose the names of those who support it in any form under the guise of transparency.

His sentiments come at a time the party has failed to disclose who funded the acquisition of 101 white GWM bakkies the party has been parading during its campaigns across the country.

The bakkies were out in full force at Ondangwa and Oshakati when the party launched its campaigns at Oshakati last week.

“Namibians are very well aware when political parties, such as the Congress of Democrats and Rally for Democracy and Progress, in the past were funded by individuals that those individuals were victimised.

“Some no longer received tenders, and others had their economic throats cut once their identities were known and made public through the media to the powers that be,” Itula said.

He showed his reluctance to talk about the party’s funders yesterday when The Namibian asked him who owns the GWM vehicles.

‘NO OBLIGATION’

This comes after party member Wilfred Muller, who is the finance manager at the International University of Management (IUM), this week said some of the vehicles belong to him.

Itula said his party would only disclose information on the vehicles when the law compels it to do so.

He said the IPC is only accountable to the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) and the Electoral Act.

“We shall never risk the livelihood of our associates albeit under the guise of transparency save where the law so compels us to do,” he said.

Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah says how political parties in any democracy are funded is an issue of public interest.

“You don’t want a situation where our political parties are funded by outsiders who have their own interest,” he says.

‘THEY ARE MINE’

Muller, who says he is an IPC member, this week confirmed that he is renting out 10 vehicles to the party at an undisclosed amount.

“I have an agreement in place with the IPC. This is clearly a business deal. What happened here is that I was approached by people.

“Actually, I am a member, so that issue came up about them wanting to rent vehicles for their purposes,” he said.

“I approached them. I said I can rent you the vehicles maybe at a cheaper rate, and you pay if you look at a market rate.”

Despite confirming ownership of the vehicles, Muller refused to disclose the monthly payments made by the IPC or the name of the organisation that lent him the funds for the purchase.

“If you want to see the contract they can share with you the contract. I mean that is now private,” he said.

Muller said he had a fixed agreement with a finance company.

When asked about a payment made to Shikamo Africa, Muller said: “That one I will keep to myself. The plan is once the fixed contract is finished, I can rent them to any tourist.”

Further investigation raises questions about certain financial transactions.

On 4 December last year, Muller’s company, Rover Trading Enterprises, which he said owns the vehicles, opened an account with a local bank.

The next day N$1,4 million was paid into this account from IUM.

Part of this money then flowed to Shikamo Political Advisory and Campaign Services, a political consulting firm with ties to Muller.

Shikamo’s team consists of Steve Jarding, listed as an American academic, Glen Mpani listed as an expert in African political campaign consulting, and Shikamo’s managing partner, Momar Dieng (an elections specialist) and Elisabete Azevedo-Harman (lecturer on legislative and political institutions, political adviser).

In the same month, Rover Trading Enterprises made significant payments to GWM, the supplier of the vehicles, with additional funds said to be originating directly from IUM.

This pattern continued throughout December and January 2024, with IUM allegedly ultimately paying Rover Trading Enterprises a total of N$10,5 million, most of which was then paid to GWM.

Asked to clarify the funds transferred from IUM to Rover Trading Enterprises, IUM spokesperson Gerry Munyama yesterday said: “IUM has not entered into any contractual agreement in respect of the alleged use of funds for the alleged purchased vehicles for political use.”

He said the university is not affiliated with, nor does it fund any political party.
“The university . . . accounts for all the monies it receives and spends.”