Unhappy with ECN
ANONYMOUS WRITES:
The ECN or the Electoral Commission of Namibia has left a considerable number of unhappy owners of vehicles that were contracted for the recently concluded General Voter Registration.
The ECN invited owners of vehicles to tender for the transportation of registration officials and materials to the various points of registration throughout the country. Unlike with the census carried out last year, private vehicles were fuelled for the duration of the process and drivers got paid as per their agreements.
The recently concluded registration of voters ran over a period of two months from 1 June 2024 to 3 August 2024 where vehicles of various types and capacities were hired. The owners of private vehicles signed contracts under the watchful leys of the Regional Electoral Officer by the name Willem Uirab.
TARIFFS
Various tariffs were agreed upon amongst others, N$2 050 for all wheel drive (4x4) vehicles per day. The contracts were collected by Mr Uirab and sent to Windhoek to obtain the signature of Mr Peter Shaama as explained by Uirab. Owners of these vehicles had to foot the bills for fuel to be able to cover the area of registration. About 90% of the owners are jobless and entangled themselves into deep debts with fuel suppliers.
The payments for the period were received but far less than the agreed rates. When this was raised with the regional electoral officer and the Director of Operations, Ms Zenia Klazen blatantly denied any rate of N$2 050. We have on record the e-mail correspondence in which she vehemently denied this. The contracts have all been taken in and we do not have a copy of the contracts signed or unsigned. The question is, how serious is the director of planning in denying this? In the event that she is unaware of the rate contained in the contract, how bad does that not reflect on the holder of the position she occupies.
Some people do not realise that they occupy positions of trust. We have had this battle of unpaid dues since our meeting of 16 September 2024 during which we were promised that the payments would be made before the end of September.
PLEAS
Our pleas seem to have fallen on deaf ears. Failing to keep promises by someone in a position of trust, is tantamount to betrayal of the public’s trust. We pleaded to be handed back our contracts as we contemplated seeking legal advice but to date, that was just a pipedream.
With tons of experience gained over the years through the various hands of the Director of Election like the Kanimes, Töttemeyers, Rukambe, Mujoros etc, we have our hopes very high up for the ECN.
It is such a grace and a disappointment to witness the current state of affairs under the tutelage of experienced crop of management who grew up knowing nothing else but electoral business. What is wrong? Please hand us back our contracts so that we battle our way out and let justice prevail.
Namibia is about to go to the polls. You would need much more vehicles than we used in the registration. With a track record that you currently have, do you really foresee a free, democratic and credible election come 27 November 2024?
* Rubrieke, meningstukke, briewe en SMS’e deur lesers en meningvormers weerspieël nie noodwendig die siening van Republikein of Namibia Media Holdings (NMH) nie. As mediahuis onderskryf NMH die etiese kode vir Namibiese media, soos toegepas deur die Media-ombudsman.
The ECN or the Electoral Commission of Namibia has left a considerable number of unhappy owners of vehicles that were contracted for the recently concluded General Voter Registration.
The ECN invited owners of vehicles to tender for the transportation of registration officials and materials to the various points of registration throughout the country. Unlike with the census carried out last year, private vehicles were fuelled for the duration of the process and drivers got paid as per their agreements.
The recently concluded registration of voters ran over a period of two months from 1 June 2024 to 3 August 2024 where vehicles of various types and capacities were hired. The owners of private vehicles signed contracts under the watchful leys of the Regional Electoral Officer by the name Willem Uirab.
TARIFFS
Various tariffs were agreed upon amongst others, N$2 050 for all wheel drive (4x4) vehicles per day. The contracts were collected by Mr Uirab and sent to Windhoek to obtain the signature of Mr Peter Shaama as explained by Uirab. Owners of these vehicles had to foot the bills for fuel to be able to cover the area of registration. About 90% of the owners are jobless and entangled themselves into deep debts with fuel suppliers.
The payments for the period were received but far less than the agreed rates. When this was raised with the regional electoral officer and the Director of Operations, Ms Zenia Klazen blatantly denied any rate of N$2 050. We have on record the e-mail correspondence in which she vehemently denied this. The contracts have all been taken in and we do not have a copy of the contracts signed or unsigned. The question is, how serious is the director of planning in denying this? In the event that she is unaware of the rate contained in the contract, how bad does that not reflect on the holder of the position she occupies.
Some people do not realise that they occupy positions of trust. We have had this battle of unpaid dues since our meeting of 16 September 2024 during which we were promised that the payments would be made before the end of September.
PLEAS
Our pleas seem to have fallen on deaf ears. Failing to keep promises by someone in a position of trust, is tantamount to betrayal of the public’s trust. We pleaded to be handed back our contracts as we contemplated seeking legal advice but to date, that was just a pipedream.
With tons of experience gained over the years through the various hands of the Director of Election like the Kanimes, Töttemeyers, Rukambe, Mujoros etc, we have our hopes very high up for the ECN.
It is such a grace and a disappointment to witness the current state of affairs under the tutelage of experienced crop of management who grew up knowing nothing else but electoral business. What is wrong? Please hand us back our contracts so that we battle our way out and let justice prevail.
Namibia is about to go to the polls. You would need much more vehicles than we used in the registration. With a track record that you currently have, do you really foresee a free, democratic and credible election come 27 November 2024?
* Rubrieke, meningstukke, briewe en SMS’e deur lesers en meningvormers weerspieël nie noodwendig die siening van Republikein of Namibia Media Holdings (NMH) nie. As mediahuis onderskryf NMH die etiese kode vir Namibiese media, soos toegepas deur die Media-ombudsman.
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