Renthia Kaimbi
The ministry of works and transport has disputed an audit finding that 53 newly acquired government vehicles worth N$35.5 million were “missing” or not recorded in the pool vehicle register.
In its response to the Auditor-General’s report for the financial year ended 31 March 2025, executive director Jonas Sheelongo said the vehicles were recorded in the Permanent Allocated Vehicle Register and were therefore not required to appear in the Pool Vehicle Register, because they had been permanently allocated to various government offices.
“The ministry wishes to place on record that the audit finding is incorrect, as vehicles permanently allocated to specific officials or offices are recorded in the Main Government Vehicle Register and the Permanent Allocation Vehicle Register,” Sheelongo wrote.
“Such vehicles are not required to be recorded in the Pool Vehicle Register, as indicated in the audit finding.”
The ministry said it had supporting documents, including vehicle issuing and receipt vouchers, to substantiate its position.
Of the 53 vehicles flagged by the audit, only six were procured by the ministry of works and transport, while the remaining 47 were acquired directly by other Offices, Ministries and Agencies (OMAs).
According to the ministry, the respective OMAs retain procurement and payment documents, while the Government Garage maintains vehicle records.
The ministry explained that Government Garage operates three main registers including the Main Vehicle Register, in which all vehicles are initially recorded; the Pool Vehicle Register, which covers vehicles available for short-term rentals; and the Permanent Allocated Vehicle Register, which records vehicles assigned to specific government offices.
“The absence of these vehicles from the pool vehicle registers should not, in itself, be construed as evidence that the vehicles were missing or had not been recorded in the appropriate registers,” the response stated.
The ministry also disputed an audit finding that 106 vehicles valued at N$22.7 million were not reflected in the pool register as having been transferred to the judiciary.
It said the vehicles had been permanently allocated to the Office of the Judiciary before being transferred to establish its own fleet. The ministry maintained that they were therefore not classified as pool vehicles.
“Consequently, these vehicles were not classified as pool vehicles and, therefore, were not included in the Government Garage pool vehicle register,” the ministry said, adding that it had provided supporting documentation.
On the donation of a 22-seater bus to a school, the ministry provided treasury approval for the donation of vehicle GRN 5007.
The ministry also criticised the audit process, arguing that findings should be discussed with management through “appropriate high-level consultations” before the final report is published.
“Such engagement would promote accuracy, transparency, and fairness in the reporting process, while providing management with a reasonable opportunity to address and resolve any discrepancies identified during the audit,” the ministry stated.
The findings were brought into the public domain by Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) member of parliament Rodney Cloete, the party’s shadow minister of international relations and trade, in a media statement issued on 11 October 2026.
Cloete also highlighted 64 permanently allocated vehicles valued at N$20.3 million that were disposed of during the financial year but were reportedly absent from the relevant registers.
He further pointed out that the Government Garage summary for 2024/25, which should show the opening balance, acquisitions and closing balance, was not provided, preventing the auditor from verifying the completeness of the vehicle summary.
The audit also recorded N$1 billion for 25 projects.
However, the ministry’s response does not appear to address the outstanding issues concerning expenditure suspensions and an appropriation discrepancy raised by Cloete.
Cloete called on minister of finance Ericah Shafudha to clarify whether the expenditure suspensions had been reported to treasury and to explain the discrepancy in the appropriation figures.
He also demanded that the ministry publish a reconciled Government Garage register for the 2024/25 financial year, identifying the 53 acquisitions and 64 disposals by registration number, allocation and supporting voucher.
“The ministry of works and transport should provide the outstanding contracts, a dated plan for the idle vehicles and a responsible official for each correction,” Cloete said.
He also raised concerns about vehicles at the //Kharas regional Government Garage in Keetmanshoop that reportedly remained idle for extended periods because spare parts had not been procured in time.
The ministry said it remained committed to strengthening its record-keeping practices and ensuring compliance with Treasury reporting requirements.
