The Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service is facing allegations of excluding potential local bidders from the tender process for the lead consultant for the Independence Stadium renovation in Windhoek.
The consultancy job is estimated to be worth around N$60 million.
The government reporterdly changed the requirements to bid for the tender from N$200 million to N$500 million.
This is the amount a company had to be worth to qualify as a bidder.
The renovation of the stadium, estimated to cost between N$500 million and N$800 million, has attracted attention, including complaints from vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Nandi-Ndaitwah blasted sport minister Agnes Tjongarero last weekend for not making progress on the renovation of stadiums.
The lack of upgrades to Independence Stadium has forced the national football team to play abroad for their international games for four years.
The ministry advertised the consultancy tender to design the stadium in September 2023.
That bid allegedly attracted many companies, but the process was scrapped.
The tender was readvertised for the second time in July this year, and the requirement was then changed from N$200 million to N$500 million.
Some local companies pointed to this as an example of how the sport ministry prevented a lot of local companies from competing for the consultancy job.
The ministry is administratively led by executive director Erastus Haitangela.
"This process is meant to eliminate competition and sideline local companies from participating," a bidder told The Namibian yesterday.
The shortlist
The description of the tender is for "the selection of the lead consultant and other consultancy services (architectural, engineering and quantity surveying required for feasibility study, design, tender documentation, contract administration and site supervision for the alteration and upgrade of Independence Stadium to Confederation of African Football (CAF) standards".
Documents seen by The Namibian show that Marley Tjitjo Architects Inc, which was responsible for the construction of the controversial N$1-billion home affairs building in Windhoek, is one of the two shortlisted companies for the consultancy job.
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The other shortlisted company is Kerry McNamara Architects, which partnered with businessman Toivo Nuugulu.
Tjongarero yesterday said she was not aware of the concerns around the tender.
"I just arrived from the airport. I was in France for the Paralympics. The best person to know is the executive director. I am only getting to know all the many things that were happening.
"Call me tomorrow if you don't reach him as I still have to catch up," she said.
Haitangela did not answer calls made to him yesterday.
Questions sent to him were read without reply.
Nandi-Ndaitwah criticised Tjongarero last Friday for her ministry's failure to start renovating Independence Stadium.
The vice president said Tjongarero undertook in writing that renovations would commence on 28 August with the appointment of a contractor, but she allegedly failed to honour this promise.
"I am disappointed by the minister. Currently, we have our sport people who go play outside, because we do not have a stadium in the country.
"They told me they will commence with renovations on 28 August, and when I asked about the progress, there was nothing," she said.
Haitangela on Sunday said the ministry would comply with Nandi-Ndaitwah's directive to renovate the stadium.
He said in June that two potential bidders challenged the bidding process, flagging errors in the procurement procedure.
