Third contractor sought for stalled Rundu fisheries office

The agriculture ministry is preparing to appoint a third contractor to complete a long-delayed fisheries office in Rundu, more than 14 years after construction began.

Government records indicate that over N$28 million in public funds has already been spent without a finished building.

The project, initially launched in 2012, stalled after two contractors reportedly abandoned the site, leaving the facility incomplete while costs continued to rise.

In a media response to Namibian Sun on Friday, the ministry confirmed that the process to appoint a new contractor is underway.

Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said bid documentation for the appointment of a contractor has already been submitted to the procurement committee for consideration.

“The ministry expects to have a contractor on site at the beginning of the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year,” Muyunda said.

The building's revamp has faced numerous delays over the years.

Government records show that in 2012 the first contractor, Ouma Construction, was awarded the tender for the project.

After completing about 50% of the work, construction reportedly stalled following alleged non-payment by the ministry for seven months.

The alleged payment delays and disputes over tendered rates ultimately led to the ministry terminating the contract in 2015.

The company has since publicly claimed that it is owed more than N$4 million for work and materials on the project.

However, the ministry strongly denies the claim, stating that all payments due were settled.

“The alleged outstanding amount of N$4.3 million is new to the ministry. If such a claim existed, it would be reasonable to communicate it to the ministry through their principal agent or raise it during the numerous meetings held with the ministry over the years,” Muyunda said.

“Under normal circumstances, it is highly unlikely for a claim of this magnitude to remain unreported since 2013, particularly considering the many engagements that have taken place with the contractor,” he added.

“It is therefore unfortunate that such information is being circulated and we maintain that such claims are false and malicious. We urge the contractor to contact us directly should any clarification be necessary,” he stressed.

More changes

The delays did not end there. In 2015, Africa Civil Engineering was appointed on 6 August at a contract value of N$16 million. However, minutes from a government site inspection dated 11 February 2021, conducted by then minister of works John Mutorwa, show that the company also encountered delayed payments and disputes over tendered rates.

The contract was subsequently terminated by the ministry in 2018.

The ministry says the latest delays were largely due to the delayed construction of stormwater drainage systems, which are vital to safeguard the building from erosion and flooding.

Although Muyunda could not confirm how much has been spent on the delayed project so far, meeting records seen by this publication indicate that government had already spent around N$28 million on the project, with an additional N$4 million on consultancy fees as of 2021. The ministry, however, could not confirm these figures.

Last year Namibian Sun reported that the stalled building has resulted in ministry officials having to operate from rented premises at a cost of N$39 000 per month – nearly N$470 000 per year.