The Central Procurement Board of Namibia (CPBN) says it will soon pronounce itself on the controversial health tender, for which more than N$650 million was awarded to one company.

Should the board's decision be upheld, Amnics Trading, owned by businessman Shapwa Kanyama, will package condoms at a cost of more than $100 million.

The awarding of the multi-million dollar tender shocked the nation and sent the community into a social media frenzy.

The bone of contention raised by many was how the CPBN arrived at its decision to award a two-year-old company, which reportedly employs only two staff members.

Kamanya's company would deliver surgical gloves for N$400 million, condoms for N$111 million, as well as other medical supplies.

Politicians, including Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, responded to the uproar by calling for transparency in the tendering process.

That was followed by swift action from the procurement board, and board chair Amon Ngavetene called a media briefing where he announced that the final decision had not yet been made.

The CPBN, he said, would reconsider its decision to award Kamanya's business with the over half a billion dollar tender. 

Reiterating that announcement through the CPBN's stakeholder engagement department, Ngavetene gave no time frame for when this process would be concluded, only stating that the board's final decision would be made public in due course.

In a 10-page statement addressing the controversy, President Geingob maintained that the CPBN remains under a legal obligation to award bids to the lowest evaluated, substantially responsive bid that meets the qualification criteria.

Something the CPBN did not do.

On calls for him to cancel the tender, Geingob noted that he does not have the powers to do so.

The Board has since received applications from aggrieved bidders and has considered all of them.