N$1 million tender at heart of second NBC suspension

THE alleged unprocedural awarding of a tender of just less than N$1 million is the reason for the immediate suspension on Tuesday of the NBC’s General Manager for Technical Services, Ruben Prinz, The Namibian learnt yesterday.

It also emerged that not only is Prinz being investigated, but his whole department. Prinz could not be reached for comment on his cellphone yesterday.Prinz is reported to be responsible for awarding a tender of around N$925 000 without inviting other tenders for the services rendered.He is then alleged to have named the company a sole provider, and split the tender into smaller amounts to bypass the need for it to be approved by the NBC’s tender board.The tender board has to approve amounts of N$50 000 and above.Prinz was suspended with full pay immediately after the NBC’s 104th Board meeting, on allegations that he violated Board rules regarding tender policies and procurement.Approached for comment, NBC Acting Director General Ponhele ya France said yesterday that the case was an internal matter, and that at least for the time being, no criminal charges were being entertained.Prinz is now scheduled to face a disciplinary hearing, although according to Ya France, a date still has to be set.”Investigations will focus on the whole department,” he said when asked whether Prinz would be the only person under investigation.Currently acting in his position as General Manager for Technical Services is Jan Engelbrecht, Manager for Studio Engineering and Information Technology.Prinz is the second high-ranking officer at the State broadcaster to be suspended in less than a month, following the suspension of former Director General Gerry Munyama on November 15.Munyama subsequently resigned on November 25, and is currently awaiting trial on charges of fraud, or alternatively forgery and uttering.Munyama is alleged to have pocketed N$346 415,88 from the NBC’s already empty coffers.Ya France told The Namibian that the NBC is looking to appoint a new Director General, and said that he would continue to act in this position in the meantime.Information and Broadcasting Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said yesterday that recent developments at the NBC were not only disturbing to her, but to the whole Cabinet.”We are following events closely to find a solution to get out of this situation.Unfortunately for many years the problem has been mounting and is exploding at the time when I’m responsible [for Government media],” Nandi-Ndaitwah told the media at a final Cabinet briefing for the year.She appealed to NBC employees to work closely together to find solutions for the problems.The NBC, she said, was a key public institution, which “nobody could imagine being without”.Nandi-Ndaitwah said together with the NBC Board, her Ministry was working “around the clock” to ensure that the corporation would continue to serve the nation.She said there was no cause for alarm just yet over the corporation’s ability to continue broadcasting.The Minister is scheduled to flip the switch today that will extend NBC-TV’s services to Gam and Tsumkwe.She applauded the NBC Board for having acted well during this period of crisis and defended the move by Board Chairman Ya France to take over the helm of the NBC himself in the wake of Munyama’s suspension and subsequent resignation.”It was the best the board could do at that time, so that there is no vacuum.We are in a process, together with the board, to look for a caretaker to allow the board to concentrate on policy guidelines and the management on management issues,” said Nandi-Ndaitwah.* Additional reporting by Lindsay DentlingerPrinz could not be reached for comment on his cellphone yesterday.Prinz is reported to be responsible for awarding a tender of around N$925 000 without inviting other tenders for the services rendered.He is then alleged to have named the company a sole provider, and split the tender into smaller amounts to bypass the need for it to be approved by the NBC’s tender board.The tender board has to approve amounts of N$50 000 and above.Prinz was suspended with full pay immediately after the NBC’s 104th Board meeting, on allegations that he violated Board rules regarding tender policies and procurement.Approached for comment, NBC Acting Director General Ponhele ya France said yesterday that the case was an internal matter, and that at least for the time being, no criminal charges were being entertained.Prinz is now scheduled to face a disciplinary hearing, although according to Ya France, a date still has to be set.”Investigations will focus on the whole department,” he said when asked whether Prinz would be the only person under investigation. Currently acting in his position as General Manager for Technical Services is Jan Engelbrecht, Manager for Studio Engineering and Information Technology.Prinz is the second high-ranking officer at the State broadcaster to be suspended in less than a month, following the suspension of former Director General Gerry Munyama on November 15.Munyama subsequently resigned on November 25, and is currently awaiting trial on charges of fraud, or alternatively forgery and uttering.Munyama is alleged to have pocketed N$346 415,88 from the NBC’s already empty coffers.Ya France told The Namibian that the NBC is looking to appoint a new Director General, and said that he would continue to act in this position in the meantime.Information and Broadcasting Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said yesterday that recent developments at the NBC were not only disturbing to her, but to the whole Cabinet.”We are following events closely to find a solution to get out of this situation.Unfortunately for many years the problem has been mounting and is exploding at the time when I’m responsible [for Government media],” Nandi-Ndaitwah told the media at a final Cabinet briefing for the year.She appealed to NBC employees to work closely together to find solutions for the problems.The NBC, she said, was a key public institution, which “nobody could imagine being without”.Nandi-Ndaitwah said together with the NBC Board, her Ministry was working “around the clock” to ensure that the corporation would continue to serve the nation.She said there was no cause for alarm just yet over the corporation’s ability to continue broadcasting.The Minister is scheduled to flip the switch today that will extend NBC-TV’s services to Gam and Tsumkwe.She applauded the NBC Board for having acted well during this period of crisis and defended the move by Board Chairman Ya France to take over the helm of the NBC himself in the wake of Munyama’s suspension and subsequent resignation.”It was the best the board could do at that time, so that there is no vacuum.We are in a process, together with the board, to look for a caretaker to allow the board to concentrate on policy guidelines and the management on management issues,” said Nandi-Ndaitwah.* Additional reporting by Lindsay Dentlinger