A cry over tender exclusion in Bukalo

KATIMA MULILO – Business owners in Bukalo Village Council have raised concerns over what they describe as the exclusion of Namibian-owned companies from government and local authorities tenders, saying foreign-owned businesses are benefiting at their expense.

The businesspeople say the situation is particularly frustrating because local companies are registered, pay taxes and other statutory obligations, yet struggle to secure even small contracts in their own town.

One of the business owners, Mabengono Munihango, said he has been operating his company, Munihango Investment, for years but has never secured a government tender or subcontract despite repeatedly applying for opportunities.

Munihango said his company is capable of undertaking various projects, including construction, catering, timber-related work and road construction.

“Since I registered my company, I never got even a small tender,” he said. He claimed that local companies often watch as businesses from outside Bukalo, including foreign-owned companies, are brought in to execute projects that he believes could be handled by local contractors. Munihango said this undermines the government’s efforts to empower small and medium enterprises and create employment opportunities for Namibians.

He questioned why local companies that pay taxes and comply with statutory requirements are not given greater consideration when tenders are awarded.

“We are paying NamRA and Social Security. The government is taking that money. What is my benefit now from the government? Nothing in return,” he said.

Munihango said he had also submitted a proposal for a brick-making project to the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade but claimed he had received no feedback on his application.

He said access to equipment and financing would enable local businesses to establish projects instead of depending entirely on government tenders.

“If we get the equipment, I can do my own project,” he said, adding that the town lacked sufficient industrial activity to absorb young people completing vocational training.

Munihango said Bukalo’s vocational and technical training institutions were producing skilled young people who needed local industries and businesses where they could obtain internships, attachments and employment.

He argued that empowering local businesses would have a multiplier effect because they would employ other Namibians and contribute to the local economy.

Another local businessperson, Brian Nandu, echoed concerns about the limited involvement of local companies in projects taking place in Bukalo.

Nandu said local entrepreneurs should be given a fair opportunity to participate in the town’s development rather than watching companies from outside the area execute projects. The concerns come at a time when Bukalo Village Council is undergoing significant development, including plans for housing, land servicing, sewer infrastructure, a stadium and other community facilities.

Munihango, however, praised the Bukalo Village Council for what he described as a positive development vision.

He said the planned construction of hundreds of houses, a stadium and a youth centre could stimulate economic activity and create opportunities for local businesses.

He also welcomed the council’s efforts to address refuse collection, saying the council’s decision to advertise a refuse-removal tender for local businesses was encouraging.

“I can see that the council now has a vision. They just need our support – the community support,” Munihango said.

He urged residents and businesses not only to criticise the council but also to provide constructive suggestions to help improve the town.

“We should not just complain but should learn how to encourage them to do this and that,” he said.

Munihango said the servicing of land, including the installation of sewer infrastructure, was particularly important for Bukalo’s future growth.

He said the development of new residential areas would also create opportunities for businesses such as taxis, shops, construction companies and other service providers. Despite the concerns over tender opportunities, he said local businesses remained hopeful that the town’s development would eventually translate into meaningful economic opportunities for residents.

He called on authorities to ensure that local companies are considered when projects are advertised and awarded, arguing that empowering local businesses is essential to building a sustainable local economy.

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