High-level panic and political fallout have gripped the government following the revelation that a ‘secret’ US$2.4 million agricultural artificial intelligence and satellite imagery crop monitoring contract was awarded to an American company.
Cabinet ministers, lawmakers, and even the line minister are now distancing themselves from the contract award claiming they were kept completely in the dark.
The fallout has led to the government launching an investigation into a US$2.4 million (about N$40 million) contract awarded to the American-based entity 6th Grain to conduct and implement artificial intelligence driven and satellite imagery-driven crop monitoring systems.
Secretary to Cabinet Emilia Mkusa confirmed to The Issue that a probe into the matter is underway. Mkusa stated that she was not in a position to provide further details because the investigation is not being directly conducted by her office. She added that the government will provide feedback once the probe concludes.
The investigation follows public outcry, particularly within political circles, after national broadcaster NBC reported that the Embassy of the United States of America in Windhoek announced that 6th Grain had secured the N$40 million contract with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform. The announcement was made on the Embassy’s Facebook page last Wednesday, following an initial post on 6th Grain’s LinkedIn page more than a week earlier.
NOTHING UNTOWARD
CEO of 6th Grain, Vlad Eskin told The Issue that his company has done everything above board and that he has been making presentations to the ministry since July last year.
He said he presented to the ministry management late last year. This culminated in the ministry signing an agreement with 6th Grain, for the donor funded project, that is not going to take up taxpayer money.
Eskin said they will provide the Namibian government with technology that allows for remote crop sensing and monitoring via satellite. The need arose since the government’s 300 extension agents are not able to effectively inspect all crop farms in the country.
Early detection of crop defects or disease is the ultimate aim of 6th Grain’s technology and will allow the government to monitor crops remotely and notify the ground officials which farms’ crops require a closer inspection. “Once we are done, we will hand over everything to the government, every line of code and the full intellectual property rights will be owned by the Namibian people,” Eskin said.
He added that his company will have no rights to the system once their contract is done and the government will not be subjected to software and licensing costs afterwards. He also assured that this is a purely agricultural project and has nothing to do with national security
The online posts last week state that under the agreement, 6th Grain will deploy crop monitoring technology utilising artificial intelligence, satellite imagery, and geospatial analytics across Namibia’s staple food sectors. The system is designed to support crop mapping, land suitability analysis, pasture monitoring, and agricultural planning for maize, millet (mahangu), sorghum, cowpea, and wheat, alongside a skills-transfer component.
The US Embassy in Namibia’s spokesperson Ryan Bradeen said the embassy is unhappy with the manner in which commentators with no knowledge of the company disparaging it’s intention with unsubstantiated claims and without any effort to fact check their claims. “We have repeatedly heard from these same commentators and from the Government itself that this is exactly the kind of deal that Namibia wants – transparent agreements offering data sovereignty, skills transfer, and low-cost sustainability while delivering innovative, world class technology that delivers tangible benefits to Namibian farmers and the Namibian government,” read Bradeen’s emailed response.
Bradeen added that the embassy is proud to see an American company bring world-class technology to Namibia in ways that benefit Namibian farmers, build local skills, and support the country’s long-term economic development.
“A hallmark of the American approach is the belief that companies should compete on their merits through free, open, and transparent processes,” read his emailed response emphasising that American companies operating in Namibia have built a strong record of playing by the rules, delivering high-quality products and services, investing in people, and expanding economic opportunity.
However, the agriculture ministry remained tight-lipped about the situation before issuing a brief statement on Tuesday.
“We wish to assure the public that this matter is receiving priority attention at the highest level of the ministry. The public will be kept informed as and when there are material developments,” said ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda.
Allegations that the ministry unilaterally and ‘clandestinely’ handed control over the country’s food security framework to an American entity have been directed at agriculture minister Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi. The Issue understands that Zaamwani-Kamwi faced criticism from fellow party members in Swapo WhatsApp groups, where she allegedly defended herself by stating she was unaware of the contract prior to media reports and pledged to investigate the matter internally.
Zaamwani-Kamwi’s position was mirrored by three senior government officials, who told The Issue that Cabinet was also left in the dark and only learnt of the contract through media coverage.
“Sorry, this matter is still under discussion and I cannot comment at this stage,” Zaamwani-Kamwi said in response to detailed queries submitted by The Issue on Monday.
Affirmative Repositioning (AR) president and Member of Parliament Job Amupanda told The Issue that he has written to Zaamwani-Kamwi demanding answers. Amupanda questioned whether the contract was publicly advertised in a transparent manner to ensure public participation and competitive bidding, given the substantial involvement of public funds.
He further raised concern regarding national security and data sovereignty, arguing that relying on foreign-controlled AI models and software without proper oversight could compromise Namibia’s long-term autonomy. Amupanda demanded that the minister provide all relevant documentation, including the procurement criteria, a list of participating bidders, the final contract executed with 6th Grain, and evidence of any national security due diligence conducted prior to signing.
Leader of the Official Opposition in Parliament and Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) MP Immanuel Nashinge said the absence of an open, competitive public tender constitutes a direct violation of good governance, transparency, and fiscal accountability.
“A Cabinet minister cannot disown high-stakes decisions,” Nashinge said, adding that if ministry leadership was genuinely unaware of how major national projects and public funds were allocated, it demonstrates either catastrophic operational paralysis or a deliberate attempt to evade accountability.
“We demand an immediate, transparent investigation into how this contract was routed, who sanctioned it, and what immediate disciplinary or legal remedies will be executed against those who bypassed statutory procurement law,” Nashinge said.
He added that the deal reflects a lack of confidence by the Swapo-led administration in local intellect and capacity, leaving qualified Namibian professionals systematically bypassed.
