Venaani calls Geingob out over condom saga

McHenry Venaani, leader of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), has called upon President Hage Geingob to intervene and cancel the controversial N$650 million clinical supplies tender, saying Namibia cannot afford to spend close to hundreds of millions on condoms at this point.He also accused the health ministry of overseeing a system that is designed for insider trading and collusion, based on the amount of money allocated for gloves and condoms.Venaani, who wrote a letter to Geingob last Friday to beseech him to step in, made these remarks following the contentious awarding of huge tenders to Amnics Trading, owned by businessman Shapwa Kanyama.“There is no economic or political sense to spend N$650 million on gloves and condoms while you have a health crisis where there is no blood pressure medicine in hospitals; where you have infrastructure lapses; while kids are going to school dripping wet from rain, and yet this government thinks it is appropriate to spend this money.“The question is not whether the money was spent correctly, but whether it can be afforded to spend close to a billion. President Geingob, use your conscience as a leader of this country,” he wrote.Not a priorityThe PDM leader - who has written several letters to Geingob on various issues – said it would be unfortunate for his please to “fall on deaf ears again”, but added that, at end of the day, Geingob is in charge of government.“We are going to wait for the president and if he does not take action, we will be forced to litigate.“We are saying this expenditure is not a priority. This money must be diverted to other areas where it is needed.“We are faced with serious concerns. For the last 13 years, our country has been run without a health policy. How do you run a health ministry without a health policy?” Venaani questioned.Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula and the ministry’s executive director Ben Nangombe were both unreachable and did not respond to questions sent to them.Daylight robberyThe Rally for Progress and Democracy (RDP) youth wing has also joined the fray, saying this is daylight robbery of Namibian taxpayers who work very hard to sustain the country&#039;s economy.In a statement, the league’s secretary-general Marvin Janongovandu Veseevete questioned the silence of the health ministry since the storm over the tender broke last week.“We are left with no other option than to conclude that Mr Kanyama is linked to Mr Ben Nangombe, the executive director of the health ministry, hence his muteness on the issue. Mr Nangombe himself must be investigated and the truth should prevail,” he said.“The country is already in turmoil as learners whose unemployed parents can’t afford to pay for their school fees are sent home, but the powers that be have the audacity of giving a N$650 million tender to one businessman who is most probably also a member of the ruling party.“Our minds are boggled by trying to comprehend what the relationship between Mr Kanyama and the executive director of the ministry of health [is],” he said.jemima@namibiansun.com

Venaani calls Geingob out over condom saga

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-12

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Venaani calls Geingob out over condom saga

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-12

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