TOKA MAKTABA :
Is Namibia poll at risk from ballot papers printed by firm linked to Zimbabwe ex‑convict?
By
Farai Shawn Matiashe
Posted on November 13, 2024 06:00
View attachment 3467341
© Wicknell Chivayo (rights reserved)
Namibia’s electoral commission under fire over ‘emergency’ contract awarded to company linked to Wicknell Chivayo.
There was uproar in
Namibia in October after it was revealed that a South African company, Ren-Form CC, linked to former convict and
Zimbabwean Wicknell Chivayo, was awarded a N$6.2m ($350,000) contract by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) to print ballot papers for Namibia’s general elections on 27 November to elect a new president and members of the National Assembly.
Chivayo, who is linked to Zimbabwe President
Emmerson Mnangagwa and his ZANU-PF party, was
awarded a $100m contract to supply election materials including ballot papers by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for the 2023 elections.
Ren-Form CC was part of this deal that saw most of the $100m embezzled and shared among ZEC officials, state security agents and staff from the President’s office, according to
local news reports and leaked audiotapes. In some instances, invoices were reportedly inflated by more than 200%.
READ MORE Zimbabwe: 7 things to know about Wicknell Chivayo, scandal-prone businessman with links to Mnangagwa
On 22 October, supporters of the
opposition party Popular Democratic Movement marched in the capital, Windhoek, against the decision by Namibia’s electoral body to tender the contract to Ren-Form CC. They delivered a petition asking the authorities to cancel the contract.
Tainting the integrity of Namibia’s electoral body?
Rui Tyitende, a Namibian political analyst, says the debacle could have serious repercussions for the integrity and image of the ECN.
“It appears that the
‘emergency procurement’ to award Ren-Form CC the contract to print the ballot papers is choreographed,” he tells
The Africa Report. “If not, why did the ECN only realise on 1 October 2024 that there are risks involved in terms of pursuing the normal procurement process? They should have assessed this before they issued the procurement advert.”
He says, more importantly, the ECN knew about the election date since last year and ought to have planned this thoroughly.
READ MORE Namibian Elections 2024: A breakdown of the five key parties contending for power
Ren-Form CC has denied that it is linked to controversial Zimbabwean businessman Chivayo, calling reports from the media ‘name dropping’. The ECN denies any wrongdoing in awarding the tender to Ren-Form CC, saying the allegations are baseless.
Admire Mare, an associate professor and head of the Communication and Media Studies department at the University of Johannesburg, says the company might not directly interfere with Namibian elections but the fact that
Chivayo has several cases of corruption and questionable business conduct suggests that ECN did not do their due diligence.
“The electoral management body is going to be saddled with integrity-related concerns as they supervise a watershed election,” says Mare, who spent years as a media lecturer at the Namibia University of Science and Technology.
READ MORE Zimbabwe: Mnangagwa raises eyebrows over links to ex-convict, socialite pastor
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission launched an investigation against Chivayo and other top government officials involved in the ZEC scandal but no arrests have been made.
However, Chivayo’s allies Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu were arrested on a separate charge of
embezzling funds for a $7.7m tender to supply goats to the government under the Presidential Goat Scheme. Analysts say they were arrested for exposing top government officials linked in the ZEC scandal after they leaked audio complaining to Chivayo, who duped them of their share of the $100m election deal.
‘ZANU-PF is a menace throughout SADC’
Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF is accused of attempting to influence elections in Namibia as it has in other countries in the SADC region, including South Africa,
Mozambique, Zambia and Botswana.
Opposition parties like the Democratic Alliance (DA) resisted ZANU-PF’s attempts to assist the African National Congress’ campaign and to observe the
South Africa 29 May elections.
READ MORE Mozambique opposition cries foul as Frelimo’s Chapo takes a comfortable lead
In Mozambique, ZANU-PF is accused of
registering Zimbabweans to vote for the ruling Frelimo party.
The Africa Report observed members of ZANU-PF registering to vote for the Mozambique elections during an exercise in eastern and southern parts of Zimbabwe like Mutasa. Mnangagwa, who assumed the SADC chairmanship in August, congratulated Frelimo
before the final results were announced.
In
Botswana, the Embassy of Zimbabwe had to caution Zimbabweans to be alert during the run-up to the 30 October election after allegations of interference by ZANU-PF. Officials, including ZANU-PF secretary for legal affairs Patrick Chinamasa, went to Botswana to campaign for former president
Mokgweetsi Masisi seeking a second term.
‘Liberation movements in political intensive care’
In Namibia, ZANU-PF is accused of
conspiring with its sister former liberation party Swapo to guarantee them victory in the elections where 15 presidential candidates and 21 political parties will contest.
Swapo leaders, including Secretary General Sophia Shaningwa, met with Mnangagwa in August.
Tyitende says all former liberation movements in SADC are in the political intensive care unit and their death is inevitable. “Hence, the deliberate attempt at preventing their demise through
unconstitutional and dubious means,” he says.
ZANU-PF is attempting to keep its sister parties in power to avoid isolation after the opposition won in
Zambia and in South Africa, the ANC was forced into a Government of National Unity with opposition parties after losing its majority rule.
READ MORE SADC summit: Hichilema’s absence and late arrivals in Harare expose cracks in regional body
“Zimbabwe needs ‘comrades in arms’ for political solidarity and we should be concerned if countries in the region will emulate or attempt to
mimic what is happening in Zimbabwe,” Tyitende says.
Mare says that ZANU-PF is trying to ‘play a midwife role’ in SADC electoral processes. “ZANU-PF is trying to
mute the negative noises around their electoral shenanigans by helping parties that are sympathetic to their causes but struggling to retain political popularity on their home turf,” he says.
“It is a new type of foreign policy agenda being pushed by Mnangagwa to control and influence political processes in the region.”
Zimbabwe’s elections were marred by irregularities including voter suppression in opposition strongholds like Harare, Manicaland and Bulawayo. The elections were condemned by election observers including SADC and AU.
SOMA :
Comrade Mizengo Pinda kuiwakilisha CCM katika Kongamano la Vyama Vya Ukombozi
MADA : KULINDALI MAFANIKIO YA VYAMA VYA UKOMBOZI BAADA YA UHURU, VINAENDANA NA HAJA YA VYAMA HIVYO KUBAKI MADARAKANI
African National Congress (ANC) itakuwa mwenyeji wa Kongamano la Kilele cha Vyama vya Ukombozi 2025 katika Hoteli ya Radison Blu, Kempton Park kuanzia leo tarehe 25 hadi 28 Julai 2025 chini ya mada:
"Kulinda Mafanikio ya Ukombozi, Kuendeleza Maendeleo Jumuishi ya Kijamii na Kiuchumi, Kuimarisha Mshikamano wa Afrika."
Mkutano huu muhimu unathibitisha misingi ya kiitikadi ya vyama sita vya ukombozi Kusini mwa Afrika - ANC, MPLA, SWAPO, FRELIMO, ZANU-PF na CCM - na jukumu lao la kihistoria katika kupata uhuru, utu na maendeleo katika eneo lote la Kusini mwa Afrika.
Pia Kongamano linalenga kusisitiza umuhimu wa harakati hizi kuwa katika mpangilio unaotambua mabadiliko ya mazingira ya kisiasa na kimataifa yanayobadilika haraka.
Vyama vya ukombozi vya Kusini mwa Afrika vilibadilisha hali ya kisiasa ya eneo hilo, kupinga utawala wa kikoloni na ubaguzi wa rangi, na kukaribisha utawala unaozingatia watu.
Tangu uhuru, vuguvugu hizi zimetekeleza sera muhimu kuhusu mageuzi ya ardhi, elimu, makazi, miundombinu na ulinzi wa kijamii.
Hata hivyo, mafanikio haya sasa yanakabiliwa kumegeka kutokana shinikizo jipya la mataifa ya kibeberu, migogoro ya kiuchumi, na majaribio ya kuingiliwa na ukoloni mamboleo.
Mkutano huu unatoa jukwaa moja la kukabiliana na matishio haya na kujumuisha majibu ya kimaendeleo ya kikanda yanayokitwa katika Pan-Africanism (Umajimuhi wa Kiafrika), internationalism na multilateralism.
Mkutano huo ni uingiliaji wa kimkakati katika uanzishaji upya wa mpango kazi (framework), kuimarisha mshikamano wa ndani ya chama, na kurekebisha harakati za ukombozi na matarajio ya kijamii na kiuchumi ya kizazi kipya.
ANC inaamini kwamba uhai wa kisiasa, kiuchumi na kiutamaduni wa urithi wa ukombozi wa Kusini mwa Afrika unahitaji kuchunguzwa kwa uaminifu, ukweli, kujifunza kwa pamoja na umoja unaoweza kutekelezeka.
Mkutano huo utaendeleza mifumo ya ushirikiano kati ya vyama, ushirikiano wa kikanda, ushirikishwaji wa vijana, na utawala huru wa rasilimali.
Kupitia kuthibitisha tena maadili ya pamoja na kuimarisha ushirikiano, Kongamano la Vyama la Ukombozi 2025 utapanga njia mpya ya kusonga mbele, ambayo inalinda mafanikio ya zamani huku ikijenga mustakabali wa Afrika wenye haki, jumuishi na unaojiamulia.
Vyombo vya habari vinashauriwa kuzingatia yafuatayo:
Wajumbe wameanza kuwasili leo, Alhamisi, tarehe 24 Julai 2025 na Wakuu wengi wa Wajumbe watawasili kesho Ijumaa, tarehe 25 Julai 2025. Watatua kwenye Uwanja wa Ndege wa Kimataifa wa Oliver Reginald Tambo, Wanaowasili Kimataifa
MADA : KULINDA MAFANIKIO YA VYAMA VYA UKOMBOZI BAADA YA UHURU, VINAENDANA NA HAJA YA VYAMA HIVYO KUBAKI MADARAKANI African National Congress (ANC) itakuwa mwenyeji wa Kongamano la Kilele cha Vyama vya Ukombozi 2025 katika Hoteli ya Radison Blu, Kempton Park kuanzia leo tarehe 25 hadi 28...