The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) took to the streets on Tuesday to protest the tender awarded to Johannesburg-based company Ren-Form to print the ballot papers for the upcoming elections.
The company is mired in corruption scandals in Zimbabwe.
PDM president McHenry Venaani handed over a petition to the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), calling for the immediate cancellation of the tender.
“Ren-Form must be immediately stopped from procuring election materials for the upcoming presidential and National Assembly elections,” Venaani said.
Venaani said ECN’s failure to conduct even the most basic due diligence before
awarding such a critical contract is a demonstration of its irresponsible and deeply flawed decision-making.
He further called for an independent investigation to be launched into how the ECN awarded a contract to Ren-Form, given the public and ongoing corruption investigations against them.
“Moving forward, the ECN must enforce rigorous due diligence checks and anti-corruption safeguards in all future procurement processes. This includes establishing a transparent vetting system that disqualifies any entity with a history of corrupt practices or unresolved investigations from being awarded any contracts related to our democratic processes,” Venaani said.
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