Roads Authority proud of empowering local companies, amid favouritism claims

Roads Authority (RA) chief executive Conrad Lutombi says the company takes pride in being one of the leading organisations in the development of local contractors, despite favouritism claims.

Lutombi was responding to two articles published in The Namibian detailing complaints from local bidders who accuse the RA of favouring Otesa Civil Engineering.

The first article, published on 20 September, was titled ‘RA blasted for pushing Govt into N$1-billion Kunene road’. In the article, The Namibian says the RA is accused of committing the government to a N$1-billion tender for the construction of the Opuwo-Epupa road project, without the approval of the finance and transport ministries.

The tender allegedly favours Otesa Civil Engineering, bidders of the tender claimed, referring to the N$90-million guaranteed amount needed for the project.

In another article, titled ‘Roads Authority accused of creating an artificial emergency to award N$10-million contract’, The Namibian writes that the parastatal is accused of creating an artificial emergency to award Otesa Civil Engineering an Okatana-Epyeshona-Amutanga road contract worth N$10 million.

Lutombi, in a full page advert published in the New Era and Namibian Sun this week, says Otesa Civil Engineering, which has been targeted in The Namibian’s reports, is a wholly Namibian-owned construction company.

“Accordingly, the RA will continue to empower local contractors to contribute to the efforts of our government’s commitment to create local capacity and employment opportunities to alleviate poverty,” he says.

Lutombi further notes that the RA is proud to have ongoing road construction and maintenance contracts awarded to other wholly Namibian-owned companies, such as Nexus Group, Kambwa Trading, Roads Contractors Company, and Namibbeton PTY Limited Civil Engineering.

Other companies, according to Lutombi, are Emirates Trading CC, Odjove Trading, Roadhart Construction, Adaptive Trading, Eponga Trading CC, West Trading, Brandberg Construction, JER Construction.

The list further includes Thohi Construction, Ketu Trading, Shange and Indigenous Construction JV, Zero Six Five Trading CC, Octagon Construction, John Namushese Construction and other SMEs.

“We wish to reiterate that the RA procures its goods, works and services fairly and transparently in accordance with the Public Procurement Act. The RA has never committed the government to road projects without Treasury approval,” says Lutombi.