Kavango West NamPol condemns procurement system

NKURENKURU, 12 AUG  – Government’s cumbersome procurement policy has made it difficult for the police in the Kavango West Region to execute its mandate adequately.
This is according to Namibian Police Force (NamPol) Kavango West Acting Regional Commander, Deputy Commissioner Andreas Shilelo in an interview with this agency on Friday.
At present, the police is finding it difficult to access all parts of the vast and sandy region as only 17 of the 62 police vehicles assigned to them are operational.
Shilelo attributed this dilemma to the new Procurement Act, as the 45 vehicles that are currently parked at various police stations in the region are either awaiting regular servicing, repairs or body parts.
However, due to the procurement policy – coupled with Government’s precarious financial situation – these vehicles are immobile, he indicated.
“The problem that we have is the procurement of service parts, orders for the cars to go for service and that problem comes after the financial situation that is currently prevailing in our country,” lamented Shilelo.
Explaining how the procurement policy has crippled their operations, he said it requires a chain of steps to be followed, which take up to a month for a single vehicle to be serviced.
“That process is really one of the very difficult processes to be complied with,” he added.
Shilelo opined that NamPol should be exonerated from the procurement procedure, if combating crime efficiently and effectively is to be attained.
“It’s a concern but it is difficult for me to say anything. Maybe in due course we can give our concern so that we can be exempted, but whether it will be accepted or not is another concern,” he said without ruling out the procedure’s importance.
Despite this challenge, Shilelo expressed confidence that they will be able to utilise the available vehicles to good use as the region is set to host the national Heroes Day’ commemorations later this month.
“I am speaking today of 17 out of 62 vehicles. I do not know up to 26 or even 24 August whether among these vehicles, some will be due for service,” he said.
The Public Procurement Act came into force in 2017 to increase transparency and accountability in State procurement.
Approached for comment on Saturday, Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein said the government garage is exempted by the procurement policy to buy spare parts and repairs.
“Maybe they [NamPol] have their own fleet management and they haven’t done the proper thing so I am not sure what’s going on there,” said Schlettwein, adding that the Procurement Act cannot be blamed for the situation in Kavango West.
“If they have these problems, they should have approached us instead of doing nothing and leave the vehicles there,” he concluded.
NAMPA