Food supply tender fracas refuses to die down

Food supply company Eyambeko Namibia Catering Services suffered yet another setback when it failed to prove why its appeal against the awarding of a catering contract by the Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN) ought to be heard on an urgent basis.

Eyambeko brought an urgent application to the High Court after the CPBN noted that the company did not qualify to win the bid owing to its failure to comply with tender requirements on 23 August.

Delivering a judgment in favour of the CPBN this week, Judge Claudia Claasen ruled that Eyambeko failed to prove why there was a need for its matter to be heard on an urgent basis, saying it did not adequately present reasons to back the need for its case to be heard at that time.

Claasen struck the matter from the roll and ordered Eyambeko to pay several of the respondents’ costs.

Back and fourth

In August 2022, the education ministry approached the court on an urgent basis for an interdict against the implementation of a review panel decision to suspend the awarded food tender and have the process start afresh in a manner that does not interrupt the supply of food to schools.

The ministry wanted the decision halted while the court dealt with the main review application in which it wanted the review panel’s decision to be set aside in its entirety.

The following month, the High Court ruled in the ministry’s favour by granting it an interdict against Eyambeko and three other food supply companies who won the lucrative tender after it was found that due process was not followed.