President warns risk of middlemen overcharging government
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has warned that the government will not tolerate inflated pricing in procurement, cautioning that excessive markups by middlemen are undermining public spending and delaying key national projects.
Speaking during a pre-recorded interview for The Agenda, a programme by the Network Media Hub set to air on Sunday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said while intermediaries play a role in growing the private sector, they must price goods and services responsibly.
“We are not against the middlemen,” she said. “But the middlemen must be realistic.”
She criticised suppliers who inflate prices when dealing with the government, warning that such practices reduce the state’s ability to fund essential services.
“You cannot, for example, buy Panado for $2 and sell it to the government for $10. Your markup is just too big,” she said. “If you are buying it at $2 and sell it for $4 or $5, we can make business.”
“Don’t exploit the government to the point that we will not be able to have savings to invest in the social sectors,” she added, referring to areas such as education, health and housing.
The president said the government would act if the situation persists. “If that cannot be stopped… I can disrupt. I will have no choice because I have a responsibility to take care of the Namibian people.”
Meanwhile, Nandi-Ndaitwah addressed delays to the long-stalled Independence Stadium, noting that inconsistent timelines and conflicting reports have hindered progress.
She said the situation has not only prevented Namibians from watching their teams play at home but has also affected local sponsors, whose advertising loses value when games are moved abroad.
“As a government, we are on it. A contractor has been appointed, but we are still reviewing the prices. As much as I want the project to move forward, I don’t want the nation to be robbed. We must be convinced that the prices we are asked to pay are fair,” she said.
Previous media reports indicate that the stadium project is set to transform the facility into a world-class venue, designed to meet Confederation of African Football Category 3 standards and accommodate 30,000 spectators.
Namibia currently has no stadium approved by either CAF or FIFA, forcing national teams to play their home matches abroad.
The country has not hosted an international match in the past five years due to inadequate infrastructure.
Furthermore, it was indicated that all design documentation was completed in December 2025 and submitted to CAF for compliance review under Category 3 standards, while other documents were sent to World Athletics for assessment. In 2024 reports show that the architectural firm selected for the project was to be paid over N$800,000 for its services.
