The Affirmative Repositioning (AR) Movement has questioned August 26's acquisition of three armoured vehicles valued at about N$50 million, alleging they were brought into the country without military authorisation.

However, the Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of August 26, David Brown, says the vehicles are demonstration units intended for interested security agencies and were brought into the country under a six-month temporary import permit.

At a media briefing, the Leader of the AR Movement, Job Amupanda, alleged that August 26 acquired the three vehicles from Uganda through Streit Group, a company he linked to local musician Lazarus Shiimi, known as Gazza. 

The vehicles, valued at N$18 million each, were brought into Namibia through Angola.

"The military leadership and the army in our country don't know these vehicles were bought in Uganda and drove them physically, and when they came to Zambia, the Zambia authority refused to allow military vehicles to come into their country without authorisation or permits from the Namibian Army," said Professor Amupanda.

When approached for comment, August 26's Acting CEO David Brown explained that the vehicles are armoured vehicles that are no different from the cash and delivery vehicles and were brought in for the South African Aerospace and Defence Exhibition. 

"They came into Namibia via Katima, in full knowledge of our Ministry of Defence for WMF. SATCOM was opposed to putting in their communications equipment in the vehicles to go down to Pretoria for the exhibition that was in September. The vehicles arrived late, unfortunately, due to border clearances and convoys and all kinds of stuff, but they all came together through Katima."

He added that the vehicles are on a temporary import and that they would like to demonstrate them to the army, police, border patrol and whoever needs them. 

"They have no armaments on them; it's just a chassis with an armour body on top of it. And they are here for demonstration purposes, also to have a look to resuscitate WMF's armoured vehicle capability, either to an investor or probably these people are also interested."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence spokesperson, Petrus Shilumbu, said the vehicles do not belong to the ministry and that the matter falls under August 26.

Questions sent to Lazarus Shiimi regarding his alleged involvement in the acquisition went unanswered.