Africa-Press – Namibia. THE process of awarding a state food and catering contract has not been finalised yet.
This is according to Maria Nangolo, the executive director of the Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management (Nipam). She said this in response to an article published by The Namibian last week, saying the state-owned institution awarded this contract to Flamingo Inflight Services.
Flamingo Inflight Services is implicated in the Fishrot corruption scandal and is owned by awaiting-trial James Hatuikulipi, former minister of justice Sacky Shanghala, former National Planning Commission permanent secretary Leevi Hungamo, and former secretary to the president Ndutala Angolo.
The Namibian reported that Flamingo Inflight Services was awarded the contract by Nipam, subject to objections. This information is contained in a Nipam document dated 24 September, which has been signed by Nangolo.
The document states that Flamingo Inflight Services has been selected to provide catering services for 2021/22. Other companies that were shortlisted include Welwitschia Catering and Gourmet Chef Catering.
Nangolo says the process is not concluded yet, despite evidence showing that the state-owned institution informed Flamingo Inflight Services they won the contract.
“Nipam is still busy with the procurement process, and no contract has been awarded,” she says. Sources familiar with the tender say the contract could be worth N$3 million a year depending on the number of workshops held at Nipam.
They also 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. Nangolo disputes this. She says Nipam has never made budgetary provisions for this in the past or in its current operational budget.
The Namibian in April reported that Nipam contracts were cancelled amid concerns of possible collusion among two senior executives and other allegations, such as favouritism. Nangolo denies this too.
“The cancellation was due to a technical matter. Moreover, the executive committee of Nipam currently doesn’t consist of the numbers advanced in the article, and it’s noteworthy that the procurement management unit does not consist of any exco member,” she says.
She says Nipam’s procurement management unit follows the structure as contained in the Procurement Act. The Namibian earlier this year reported that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is investigating the disappearance of N$4,1 million earmarked for buying drought-relief food for needy Namibians in 2016.
The ACC’s investigations uncovered that the bulk of the N$4,1 million found its way into the bank account of Flamingo Inflight Services. “Creating association with Nipam in the storyline is misleading,” Nangolo says.
