Walvis Bay mayor challenges Napwu to spill the beans or risk legal action

Walvis Bay mayor Immanuel Wilfred blasted allegations of corruption and tender irregularities against him made by the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) recently – challenging the union to provide specific information to sub-stantiate their “shots in the dark.”
Clr Wilfred added he reserves his rights and would respond to these irresponsible and defamatory allegations Napwu made recently in a petition which municipal workers represented by the union handed over to the municipality of Walvis Bay.
The petition described mayor Wilfred as “engulfed” in corruption and implicated him as part of a syndicate that lives off public tenders. Wilfred showed namib times a document dated 10 June 2016 yesterday in which Napwu informed him [Wilfred] of a peaceful demonstration. There were eight points cited as reasons for the peaceful demonstration, but all these points were grievances relating to internal matters of the labour relationship between the municipality of Walvis Bay as the Employer and the union as the recognised bargaining unit of a segment of municipal workers.
“Totally out of the blue I was labelled publicly as engulfed as corrupt, involved in corrupt matters and my whole council too was described as engulfed in corruption”, Clr. Wilfred said. Adding 70 % of the council of the municipality of Walvis Bay are new councillors after the last local authority elections and Napwu is yet to meet these new councillors.
“Why didn’t Napwu met our new councillors or even take up these grievances through proper channels guiding our labour relationship. I demand specific details of any corrupt activities or other irregularities I and my council are accused of”, he reiterated.
On the issue of tender irregularities and that he as Mayor influences tender outcomes, Clr. Wilfred explained he only knows about tender awards almost two months afterwards when a tender report is submitted as part of Council”s monthly business on the agenda.
“I don’t have any influence over the tender board. Napwu must come and provide me with the details where my son in particular was awarded a tender or where I influenced any tender decisions on behalf of anyone”. If they don’t provide the information, I will take action.
The municipality of Walvis Bay in terms of Section 6 (2) of the Local Authorities Act in April 2015 announced new tender standards which included no municipal employee or direct descendants may be awarded tenders. That is after the public complained staff may have insider information and competes unfairly and that they can undercut tender prices as they already have an existing salaried income.