No tender given for Walvis Bay anniversary festivities: official

A STORM is brewing at Walvis Bay where some event organisers and publicists have complained that the Municipality awarded a tender for the 10th anniversary of the harbour town’s return to Namibia without following the proper procedures.

But a spokesperson for the Walvis Bay Municipality said the complaints were misplaced. He said no tender had been awarded yet, although at least four companies are believed to have shown a keen interest in organising combined celebrations to mark Independence and the re-incorporation of Walvis Bay into Namibia.Cabinet recently approved a request by the Mayor of Walvis Bay, King Mandume Muatunga, that the State help the town mark the year when South Africa finally ended its claim to, and control of, the enclave.Walvis Bay remained under South Africa when Namibia gained Independence 14 years ago as the then apartheid rulers refused to relinquish control.The suspicion that the tender had been awarded appears to stem from a contract that lawyer Alfonso Hengari’s Ongoma International entered into with Yambaba Kamango, who was to fly in popular Congolese musician, Awilo Longomba.The contract claimed that Ongoma International “has secured a tender with Walvis Bay Municipality” to bring the singer into the country for a music show during the celebrations.Before the contract was signed, several publicists and events organisers pitched their plans to the Municipality.They put the cost of the celebrations at between N$1,5 million and N$2,5 million, according to sources.Ongoma International did not apply for the tender.Kevin Adams of the Walvis Bay Municipality said no tender had been granted.Adams said Ongoma had made a proposal to the National Independence Technical Committee to bring in the artists.He said the committee made it clear that it did want to hire an international artist for the event, but had not discouraged Hengari from flying in the singer at his own cost.Hengari described the complaints about his plans to bring Longomba to Namibia as a storm in a tea cup, adding that the committee initially welcomed his plan, but later told him there was no money.”It appears that given the budget, they are not going to entertain a foreign artist.But to say I have gotten the tender is wrong.When we prepared the contract with the representatives [of Longomba] they were aware that this this was dependent on the money from the celebrations committee,” said Hengari.Longomba’s performance fee alone would have been N$70 000, Hengari said, in addition to travel and accommodation.Adams said it was unlikely that any foreign artists would be invited.Despite that the Walvis Bay had invited bid applications and some companies made presentations of their plans, no tender is likely to be awarded because the office of the Prime Minister has made it clear that there is no money to stage an extravagant ceremony.Steve Katjiuanjo, Deputy Secretary to Cabinet, who confirmed that he had learnt about complaints that a contract had been awarded, said the technical committee had been asked to reduce their “shopping list”.He said Cabinet would soon be briefed on the plans.He said no tender had been awarded yet, although at least four companies are believed to have shown a keen interest in organising combined celebrations to mark Independence and the re-incorporation of Walvis Bay into Namibia.Cabinet recently approved a request by the Mayor of Walvis Bay, King Mandume Muatunga, that the State help the town mark the year when South Africa finally ended its claim to, and control of, the enclave.Walvis Bay remained under South Africa when Namibia gained Independence 14 years ago as the then apartheid rulers refused to relinquish control.The suspicion that the tender had been awarded appears to stem from a contract that lawyer Alfonso Hengari’s Ongoma International entered into with Yambaba Kamango, who was to fly in popular Congolese musician, Awilo Longomba.The contract claimed that Ongoma International “has secured a tender with Walvis Bay Municipality” to bring the singer into the country for a music show during the celebrations.Before the contract was signed, several publicists and events organisers pitched their plans to the Municipality.They put the cost of the celebrations at between N$1,5 million and N$2,5 million, according to sources.Ongoma International did not apply for the tender.Kevin Adams of the Walvis Bay Municipality said no tender had been granted.Adams said Ongoma had made a proposal to the National Independence Technical Committee to bring in the artists.He said the committee made it clear that it did want to hire an international artist for the event, but had not discouraged Hengari from flying in the singer at his own cost.Hengari described the complaints about his plans to bring Longomba to Namibia as a storm in a tea cup, adding that the committee initially welcomed his plan, but later told him there was no money.”It appears that given the budget, they are not going to entertain a foreign artist.But to say I have gotten the tender is wrong.When we prepared the contract with the representatives [of Longomba] they were aware that this this was dependent on the money from the celebrations committee,” said Hengari.Longomba’s performance fee alone would have been N$70 000, Hengari said, in addition to travel and accommodation.Adams said it was unlikely that any foreign artists would be invited.Despite that the Walvis Bay had invited bid applications and some companies made presentations of their plans, no tender is likely to be awarded because the office of the Prime Minister has made it clear that there is no money to stage an extravagant ceremony.Steve Katjiuanjo, Deputy Secretary to Cabinet, who confirmed that he had learnt about complaints that a contract had been awarded, said the technical committee had been asked to reduce their “shopping list”.He said Cabinet would soon be briefed on the plans.