Neckartal tender handed back to Salini

WINDHOEKELVIS MURARANGANDA

Italian dam construction company Salini S.p.A was this week re-awarded the controversial multi-billion-dollar Neckartal Dam project tender, with the minister of agriculture water and forestry saying that he "knew all along" it would happen.
Commenting on the green light being given to Salini, the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACC) used the opportunity to confirm that they had pressed ahead with handing over their dossier in connection with suspicion of corruption during the initial tender process to the Office of the Prosecutor-General (PG).
The High Court ruled in April this year that the tender be sent back to be re-evaluated by the Tender Board.
Salini had initially been awarded the N$2, 8 billion tender for the dam project in March, but the decision was challenged in court by CSC Joint Venture and was subsequently declared null and void.
CSC submitted a joint bid between Italian, Kuwaiti and South African dam construction companies.
The court ruling saw the tender being withdrawn despite Salini already being on site.
The company had also advertised vacancies in the local media and was preparing compensation for people that are to be relocated due to the construction of the dam.
Commenting on the re-awarding of the tender to Salini Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, John Mutorwa, said: "We knew all along. This was just a delaying tactic. We are happy and now work can start."
Mutorwa has been fiercely opposed to any delay of the project, which is expected to create over 12 000 permanent jobs.
The project is said to be very close to the heart of President Hifikepunye Pohamba, who reportedly was also disturbed by the delay.
Minister of Presidential Affairs, Dr Albert Kawana, said yesterday that State House had not received word about the tender being re-awarded to Salini.
"We hope this time around there are no complications like what happened in the first round," said Kawana.
The dam, which will be the biggest in Namibia upon completion, is to be built in the Fish River and will be situated close to Keetmanshoop.
Its completion is critical for dry land irrigation.
The tender has been reviewed three times by the Tender Board, while claims of irregularities have also emerged and investigated by the ACC.
The allegations were that some of the bidders attempted or had bribed permanent secretaries directly involved in the awarding of the tender.
ACC director, Paulus Noa yesterday said the names of those allegedly involved were forwarded to Prosecutor-General Martha Imalwa for her decision on whether or not to prosecute.
In December 2011, a Chinese company - China Henan International Cooperation Group - was awarded the tender, but this was later cancelled.
On March 14 this year, Salini outbid Egyptian company Vinci-Orascom Joint Venture and CSC Joint Venture, after the three entities were shortlisted out of 23 companies who had bid for the project.
CSC Joint Venture's tender price was reportedly N$2,72 billion and was the lowest of the three bids considered by the board. The bids of Salini and Vinci-Orascom were reportedly around the N$2,87-billion.
Meanwhile, one of the companies that were part of the CSC Joint Venture, Stefanutti Stocks, has been fined N$306 million by the South African Competition Tribunal for collusive tendering.
The company has apparently agreed to further penalties in connection with the allegation, which flows from being part of a group that bid for eThekwini Municipality's undersea tunnel construction tender in Durban during 2005.