Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Namibian Institute of Public Administration and Management (Nipam) has cancelled a food-and-catering contract it provisionally awarded to a company co-owned by Fishrot-accused James Hatuikulipi and former minister of justice Sacky Shanghala.
This comes after The Namibian last year reported that Nipam awarded a food-and-catering tender to Hatuikulipi’s Flamingo Inflight Catering – despite widespread reports about its links to an ongoing corruption case.
Nipam executive director Maria Nangolo says the contract was cancelled because continuing the award would not be in the public interest. Instead, the parastatal will now use the opportunity to start a catering internship programme, she says.
Flamingo Inflight Catering is owned by Hatuikulipi alongside Shanghala, former National Planning Commission permanent secretary Leevi Hungamo, and former secretary to the president Ndeutala Angolo.
Flamingo Inflight Catering is one of the entities accused of being used to launder over N$4 million in the Fishrot corruption scandal.
Sources familiar with the tender say the contract could be valued at N$3 million a year, depending on the number of workshops held at Nipam.
They say whoever is renting the cafeteria could additionally generate an estimated N$300 000 to N$400 000 a year through corporate functions and events.
Nipam appears to have backtracked from its earlier decision to award the tender to Flamingo Inflight Catering.
“Kindly be informed that the above-mentioned award, dated 24 September 2021, is hereby withdrawn on the grounds of changed circumstances in the continuation of the tender, and will not be in the public interest,” Nangolo said in a letter addressed to Kelvin Kaisi of Flamingo Inflight Catering.
In the letter, dated 19 November 2021, Nangolo also apologised to Flamingo Inflight Catering for the delay in notifying them.
“However, the public entity was faced with an application for review which required to be considered. Kindly ensure to give effect to this notice immediately,” she said.
Other companies that were shortlisted include Welwitschia Catering and Gourmet Chef Catering.
Nangolo last week told The Namibian Nipam has moved from awarding the contract to a private company to running a training programme, which was already in the pipeline.
She said the awarding of the contract was a temporary solution, while the long-term concept for the cafeteria was being crafted.
“I am happy to report that the long-term concept has been finalised and the same was approved by the governing council of Nipam,” she said.
Nangolo said the new concept would commence in May, and would be managed through an apprenticeship programme.
“Our aim is to convert the Nipam cafeteria infrastructure into concrete returns through participation in the work-integrated learning programme, which will form part of an apprenticeship programme,” she said.
This, according to Nangolo, aligns with Nipam’s capacity building mandate.
“Apprenticeship programmes are generally widely recognised as successful approaches to transitioning young people from education to employment, and Nipam looks forward to working with its partners to provide quality catering services to our clients,” she said.
Hungamo last week said he was aware of the letter.
“We have no issue with the cancellation,” he said.
When The Namibian visited Nipam last week, a cafeteria employee said the contract is currently held by John and Penny Group, owned by businessman John Endjala.
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