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namib times
SERVING THE COASTAL COMMUNITY SINCE 1958 NO 6929 FRIDAY 3 SEPTEMBER 2021 Tel: +264 64 - 205854 / +264 64 - 461866 /Fax: +264 64 - 204813 / 064 - 461824 / Website: www.namibtimes.net
No missing millions Auditors however, detected “massive discrepancies” in the way the mass housing project was administered - various officials can be in hot water as a result - Audit Report
Why fuel prices increased so hefty..........?
The much awaited forensic audit report, by auditing firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers on Although all international factors played the Walvis Bay Municipality’s mass urban land servicing project, has been described by out positive for cheaper fuel globally, the opposite was the reality for Namibia and insiders this week as “both sour and sweet”. that resulted in a 60 cents per liter increase On the sweet side no traces could be found that report, some of the certificates were located under in petrol prices on Wednesday and 30 cents N$24 million has gone missing from the money stacks of documents and files in the office of a per liter for diesel. the Namibian Government paid over to the building inspector that died last year). Municipality to carry out a mass housing 2. Of these 26 houses it must also be established On international markets the demand for oil whether the actual cost of the construction of dropped, as the world economy continues to project on its behalf. The political activist Knowledge Ipinge first these houses matches payments made to the con- slow down as the Covid-19 pandemic rears it blew the whistle on these alleged “missing tractor. ugly head many countries again. Under normal millions”. Apart from the forensic audit, a case 3. A total of 29 properties were sold, but auditors economic conditions that means cheaper fuel was also opened at the Anti Corruption Com- could not locate the sales agreements for these imports. houses in the municipality’s administrative sys- Similarly the United States- and Chinese ecomission in this regard. On the sweet side, the report did however tem. Officials must now establish whether these nomies’ fuel demands dropped as economic uncovered huge administrative discrepancies Continues on page 2 Continues on page 2 which the Municipality of Walvis Bay must now systematically investigate, rectify and Gun Amnesty for the duration where necessary hold municipal officials accountable for that. of September - No questions or The ten Walvis Bay Town Councillors received an electronic copy of the audit report during arrest if you hand in any illegal July. On 25 the content and recommendations firearm or ammunition............. of the report were discussed during an Extraordinary Council meeting. Based on the finding of the report, the suspensions were lifted of the Municipality of Walvis Bay’s CEO, Muronga Haingura, its General Manager for Community and Economic Development, Augostino Victor, housing senior manager Jack Manale and housing officer Connie Summers. The four officials were back in office on 1 September. It was pointed out their suspensions were necessary for the purposes of the forensic audit, and not on any specific allegations. “Neither were their suspensions ordered following Knowledge Ipinge’s complaint at the If you have an unregistered or stolen firearm or ammunition in your possession, this month of ACC”, a senior manager pointed out. September is to hand it in at your nearest police station. You won’t have to do any explaining and With regard to the discrepancies found by you would also not be criminally charged. PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the following have The Gun Amnesty runs from 1 to 30 September, under the theme “Let Us Disarm and Be Safe”. emerged: Namibia had its first gun amnesty in 1992 and again in 2016. The country is part of a wider 1. For a total of 26 houses there were no builcampaign on the African continent to end gun violence. ding certificates. (Note: Following the audit
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