The Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) is considering terminating its contract with Enercon, a company implicated in the ongoing National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) fuel supply scandal.
Enercon has been contracted to supply fuel to NWR’s resorts.
This comes after the resort confirmed in media reports that they had launched investigations into the company following allegations that Enercon supplied the parastatal with smuggled fuel from Angola known as ‘ngungula’ which allegedly damaged the resort’s generators and vehicles.
According to NWR management, the contract with Enercon is now under legal review.
“The Enercon contract is currently under legal review, including potential termination options.
“With regard to Eco Fuel, outside normal procurement processes, approval was granted for an alternative fuel supplier. This matter is currently under internal audit review, in order to strengthen controls. No further comments to add,” NWR management said yesterday in response to questions sent by The Namibian three weeks ago.
Enercon has been supplying fuel to NWR since around 2007. Earlier this year, the parastatal confirmed a shortage of fuel at their resorts and that the controversial fuel company had failed to supply the fuel.
Former NWR spokesperson Nelson Ashipala confirmed the shortage this year.
“There isn’t fuel at any of our lodges that have fuel stations,” he said.
Sources close to the matter say the fuel was never tested after it affected the company’s property.
The resorts affected are located at Terrace Bay and Henties Bay, which are both situated along the Skeleton Coast.
The allegations were allegedly brought forth by sources that were employed by Enercon and were investigated.
“NWR investigated the allegations last year already. The people claimed the company was supplying fuel from Angola, however, Enercon provided invoices that came from Total,” the source says, adding that, “the fuel was never tested to see if it was ngungula oil”.
Enercon is currently at the centre of a corruption probe tied to the Namcor fuel scandal. The company is among several accused of defrauding Namcor through fuel supply contracts that allegedly led to a financial loss of over N$380 million. Enercon is said to owe Namcor approximately N$114 million.
During his bail application in court on Tuesday, Enercon director Peter Elindi defended the company’s fuel sourcing practices. “We buy from TotalEnergies. We don’t import fuel from Angola,” he told the court, dismissing claims linking Enercon to illegal imports.
Smuggled Angolan fuel, while cheap, is believed to often be contaminated or of low quality, posing a risk to mechanical infrastructure.
The Namibian this year reported that the police in the Oshana region confiscated more than 776 000 litres of smuggled fuel, valued at approximately N$17 million, between 2024 and the first half of 2025.
