Cyberattack wipes Otji procurement records

A cyberattack left the Otjiwarongo municipality unable to produce records proving when key procurement documents were submitted to the Public Procurement Unit (PPU).A finance ministry public procurement compliance audit for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years found that the municipality could not provide evidence showing when its annual procurement plans (APPs) were submitted to the PPU.The municipality told auditors that the APPs had been submitted and verified but that the supporting evidence was lost during a “cyberattack”.The same problem affected quarterly procurement progress reports. The municipality again said it had submitted the reports but could not provide evidence because of the cyberattack.The auditors recommended that the municipality obtain proof of submission from the PPU and retain confirmation, including email records, as evidence for future audits.The audit also found that the municipality was not using the electronic government procurement (e-GP) portal, although it does publish procurement information on its official website.The municipality attributed this to a lack of sufficient training and said it had requested training.The two records-related findings and the e-GP issue were separate from the audit’s finding that 15 of 29 sampled procurement activities, or 52%, were not aligned with the municipality’s approved annual procurement plan.That finding was rated critical, with the municipality telling auditors that the affected items had not been added to the APP for amendment.Overall, the municipality scored 54%, placing it in the audit’s partial-compliance category. Section A, covering general compliance, scored 42%, while Section B, covering bid preparation, scored 57%.phillipus@nmh-hub.com.na

Cyberattack wipes Otji procurement records

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-06

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Cyberattack wipes Otji procurement records

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-06

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