24 June 2022
The government has hand-picked an entity to renovate vice president Nangolo Mbumba’s private farm – a tender that could cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
Documents seen by The Namibian show that an entity called Association of Unemployed Artisans in Namibia was awarded the tender – without public bidding.
The Presidential Remuneration and other Benefits Act is silent on construction and upgrades on the vice president’s house or farm.
Mbumba’s sprawling Farm Amateta covers 5 330 hectares between Otjiwarongo and Otavi, near the majestic Waterberg Plateau National Park and the Mundulea Nature Reserve.
Mbumba, who earns around N$1,5 million per year, became vice president in 2018.
President Hage Geingob created the vice presidency post in 2014 as part of some rushed changes to the Namibian Constitution – championed by then minister of justice Sacky Shanghala and then attorney general Albert Kawana.
Before, Mbumba served as Swapo secretary general.
He oversaw the 2017 congress that was tainted by allegations of corruption and money laundering involving Geingob’s party campaigns.
Documents show that taxpayers will spend about N$660 000 for phase two of renovations to Mbumba’s farm.
It is not clear how much the renovations would cost in total.
Basic costs like transport and food for the people working on site are billed separately – also on the government’s account.
Further renovations would involve the relocation of structures and dwellings on the vice president’s farm, which could increase the cost of the project.
The Association of Unemployed Artisans got the tender under special permission to circumvent government procurement rules.
The same entity ended up scoring the contract to do refurbishments and upgrades on Mbumba’s farm at taxpayers’ expense.
Part of the work done to upgrade Mbumba’s farm includes erecting a water tower and tanks, installing a piping and plumbing network, installing power connections and electrical work, security fencing and gates, and doors.
The deputy director in the office of the vice president, Mateus Kaholongo, yesterday said no renovations are taking place at Mbumba’s private residence at his farm.
He, however, said: “It is a standard procedure for the police to provide security to VIPs, wherever they reside.”
“In this respect, Nampol would ideally put up infrastructure such as accommodation and ablution facilities for police officers to enable them to operate successfully.
“In view of this, the Office of the Vice President is not privy to the details of the work carried out by Nampol at his farm, since this is purely Nampol’s project.”
He referred The Namibian to the police for more information.
National police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi yesterday confirmed that the police had relocated caravans at Mbumba’s farms.
This is apparently done for free.
Shikwambi did not explain why the Ministry of Works and Transport was involved in issuing a tender and why the farm is being beefed up with what appears to be major renovations.
The upgrades to Mbumba’s farm comes at a time when the government is rejecting calls by unions for salary hikes for public servants.
Landless People’s Movement (LPM) deputy leader Henny Seibeb says the Presidency must explain whether the renovations were budgeted for.
He says as a chief whip in the National Assembly, he would like to see the motivation and paperwork leading to the decision to renovate Mbumba’s farm.
“If public funds are used, they have to follow procedures,” he says, adding that a public procurement process had to be followed even if there were security concerns around the project.
He says in the event of security concerns, bidding companies could have been subjected to security vetting.
He also says he could not see any disclosure on this spending when the Presidency’s budget was presented this year.
In 2008, Mbumba and his wife, Wiltrud ‘Sustjie’, combined Farm Treurniet and Farm Hermein.
The combined land is now known as Farm Amateta.
At the time, deed documents show that two bonds valued at N$1,8 million were taken out from the state-owned Agricultural Bank of Namibia.
Geingob’s decision to appoint a vice president was widely criticised as a way of creating top jobs for his close political allies, such as the late former vice president Nickey Iyambo and Mbumba.
There was speculation last year that Mbumba wanted to resign, but Geingob allegedly convinced him to stay on. The vice president office’s has been surrounded by controversy, including concerns from parliamentarians about the cost of the government funding the spouses of vice presidents.
The Presidential Remuneration and Other Benefits Act was amended in 2016 to include beneficiary perks for presidents and vice presidents.
“There must be paid to the spouse of the person holding the office of vice president a monthly allowance which is equal to the monthly remuneration payable to a deputy permanent secretary [deputy executive director] employed in the public service of Namibia,” the law says.
A deputy executive director earns more than N$611 000 a year (N$50 000 a month).
