Staff Reporter
THE Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), following the arrival of the finalised ballot papers on 30 October 2024, which were printed, bound, packaged, and sealed under observation and transported to Namibia in secure conditions, has provided updates on the ballot tender.
“Today, I wish to provide an update on the rigorous process behind procuring ballot papers for the 2024 elections. In line with our commitment to transparency, the Commission has engaged in consultative meetings with representatives from registered political parties, ensuring inclusivity and accountability throughout the preparation stages. This process included the Political Parties Liaison Committee (PLC) meeting on 19 September 2024, where we detailed the initial decision to use Open International Bidding (OIB) for ballot paper procurement,” explained Peter Shaama, Chief Electoral and Referenda Officer.
He added that after reviewing the OIB process, the Commission identified potential risks with timelines that could jeopardise timely ballot delivery.
“This prompted a special PLC meeting on 1 October 2024, where the Secretariat highlighted these risks and proposed alternatives, ultimately leading to the adoption of an alternative procurement method under the Public Procurement Act. Following consultations with political party representatives, the Commission decided on 7 October 2024 to cancel the OIB process in favour of an approach that better aligns with election timelines and mitigates delivery risks. The Public Procurement Act’s statutory timelines, combined with the Electoral Act requirements, underscored the urgency to act decisively to meet key electoral deadlines, including the scheduled voting abroad on 13 November 2024 and within Namibia on 13 and 27 November 2024. Given these constraints, alternative procurement options were deemed necessary to maintain our commitment to democratic readiness,” Shaama said.
The initial tender which was cancelled was estimated to cost a total of N$ 2.9 million.
He added that Section 33 of the Public Procurement Act allows for emergency procurement to address urgent needs.
“To ensure timely ballot delivery, the Commission invoked this provision and awarded the contract to Ren-Form CC, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, as the contractor. Factors considered included compliance with technical requirements, cost-effectiveness, reliability, and the ability to meet strict timelines (i.e., completion within 10 days). The Commission, through a market intelligence (questionnaire) exercise, identified and contacted five service providers—two local and three international—to render responses, which were evaluated by the Commission’s Procurement Management Unit and subsequently recommended for award by the Commission’s Procurement Committee. Ren-Form CC, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, emerged as the most responsive bidder in terms of the set bidding specifications and was awarded the contract. The contract is valued at N$6.2 million,” Shaama said.
He added that, reinforcing transparency, ECN invited representatives from 21 participating political parties to observe the design, production, and packaging of ballot papers in Johannesburg.
“The verification of sample ballot papers by these representatives concluded on 22 October 2024. The finalised ballot papers have since been printed, bound, packaged, and sealed under their observation and were transported to Namibia in secure conditions,” Shaama said.