Karas Governor Bernadus Swartbooi denies responsibility for the non-completion of projects undertaken by JMS Southern Investment, a youth empowerment company started by Swartbooi.

JMS investment, a closed corporation owned at the time by Swartbooi and partner Martin Roos was awarded the upgrade of the sewerage system tenders at the southern towns of Tses and Berseba by the Karas Regional Council in 2010, in addition to the construction of the Keetmanshoop Open Market through funding from the Namibia Development Corporation (NDC).  The three tenders are reported to have cost government and the NDC close to N$30 million. Swartbooi told Informanté this week that he is no longer a shareholder.
Although both project tenders were awarded while Swartbooi was still a shareholder and partner in JMS investments, the Karas governor says the actual implementation of the projects began after he had resigned from the company, following his appointment as governor in December 2010. Governor Swartbooi, in his capacity as a JMS investment shareholder, obtained 200 hectares of land in Noordoewer on behalf of the company in April 2010 through a Council resolution. The governor says he obtained the land legally after having presented a proposal to a Regional Council meeting, chaired by former Karas governor Dawid Boois. “Through a viable presentation, any Namibian can request and be granted land by the Regional Council. When I was appointed governor, I immediately drove from State House to the company offices and tendered my resignation. I had then foreseen that my involvement would be used to crucify me,” Swartbooi explained.
The non-completion of the Tses tender has the Village Council fuming due to mounting pressure from residents, while a certain Deputy Minister is said to have approached Local Government Minister Jerry Elago to intervene in cancelling all three tenders. According to Tses Village Council chairperson Brian !Gaoseb, JMS Investment’s work on the sewerage system came to an abrupt end nine months ago, due to a finance dispute between the consulting engineering company, Seal Consulting Engineers and the Karas Regional Council.
Roos cleared his company of any wrong-doing, claiming that the project would have been completed had it not been for the disagreements between the consulting engineer and the Regional Council. Seal Engineers has allegedly not been paid for digging work beyond the hard rock surface. Peter Greeff of Seal Engineering declined to comment, referring Informanté to the Regional Council.
No insight into the future of the projects could be obtained from top officials of the Regional Council. Acting Chief Regional Officer Joseph Stefanus denied that it was him  speaking to Informanté when contacted on his mobile number, while Chief Regional Officer Saul Kahuika’s mobile went unanswered. Informanté has not yet been able establish the exact amounts the Karas Regional Council has to date paid to JMS investment for the Tses and Berseba projects.