Staff Reporter
VICE President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called on Chief Justice Peter Shivute and Prosecutor General Martha Imalwa to consider establishing specialised courts for handling tender disputes.
“Can’t we have special courts to deal with tender disputes so that a tender is not contested for a whole year or even two years? And remember: when the tender is being contested, it impacts service delivery and the product,” the Vice President said.
She made these comments during the inauguration of the country’s first Magistrates’ Court for Environmental Crimes in Otjiwarongo. This specialised court is dedicated to tackling offences such as poaching, illegal logging, breaches of the Environmental Protection Act, and other wildlife-related crimes that threaten ecological integrity.
The Vice President acknowledged the significance of this Magistrates’ Court for Environmental Crimes, especially given Namibia’s commitment to environmental conservation. However, she also suggested that a similar specialised court should be introduced to manage tender disputes. She stressed that such disputes often disrupt service delivery, impacting the daily lives of Namibians.
“A classic example is the supply of medicine, essential commodities that are a matter of life and death for human beings. I’m really asking the Chief Justice if your team can look into this as a matter of urgency so that tender issues are resolved immediately, enabling us to provide the best service to the Namibian people,” she explained.
