SA firm under probe gets lucrative Namibia tender

A South African company awarded a tender to print the ballot papers for Namibia’s November elections has been embroiled in a N$570m 32m)scandal in Zimbabwe. The Electoral Commission of Namibia last week announced that the Johannesburg printing firm Ren-Form CC was selected to print the ballot papers. This as the company and its agent are being investigated by Zimbabwe’s anti-corruption authority, according to The Namibian. A report published earlier this year by the Daily Maverick revealed that the Johannesburg-based printing firm and its agent are being investigated by Zimbabwe’s anti-corruption authority for alleged price gouging on election-related material and equipment. Leaked documents suggest the printing firm allegedly inflated the price of ballot papers, biometric voter registration kits and portable toilets, while its politically connected partner – Wicknell Chivayo – made payments to mystery officials. Chivayo, who has nine businesses in SA and had a brush with the law in 2011, has largely flown under the radar in SA. In Zimbabwe, however, he is notorious for his past conviction for money laundering. Chivayo acted as agent for Ren-Form. Chivayo’s former business partners – Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu – accuse Ren-Form and Chivayo of inflating costs by up to 235%. Ren-Form’s Jean-Pierre du Sart labelled all the allegations as false.