Boulter offers NDF weapons deal
Briton chases similar pact with police
The defence ministry has confirmed receiving a sales proposal from the British billionaire, who has been a Namibian permanent resident since 2017.
British-born businessman Harvey Boulter has confirmed his ambition to sell arms to the Namibian government, through his company SX Arms and Ammunition, but said no agreement has yet been reached.
Details about the deal are sketchy, but Namibian Sun understands it could be worth up to N$30 million.
Boulter allegedly submitted an unsolicited quotation to the defence ministry, outlining his product offering.
Minister Frans Kapofi said no deal has been concluded with Boulter’s company, adding that the ministry traditionally prefers to acquire its bulk arms supplies directly from manufacturers.
The ministry further prefers state-owned manufacturers rather than private entities, he said.
He did not explain the reasons for these preferences.
“To the best of my knowledge, we have not entered into any arms contract with him [Boulter]. On an urgent basis when we need products in small volumes, we could turn to a private company for supply, but for anything running into many millions of dollars, we like dealing directly with manufacturers and not through third parties,” the minister said.
Optimistic
Boulter said while no deal has been concluded, he is optimistic about his offer.
“I acknowledge the intense competitiveness of the arms industry and the lengthy process of securing sales. While no orders have been finalised with the Namibian government to date, I remain optimistic,” he said.
Asked why, he noted: "The combination of our superior products, advantageous pricing and the high ethical standards we maintain positions us favourably for future opportunities".
“This business model allows for volume pricing, highly sought-after by government customers. The result is a dual advantage for Namibia; access to state-of-the-art security products at prices that are budget-friendly.”
On talks that he submitted an unsolicited proposal to the defence force, Boulter said: “I don't know their procurement process, and that is their process to run”.
No discounts
Namibian Sun understands that SX Arms and Ammunition has conducted similar business with other security apparatuses in Namibia, but Boulter was coy on this assertion.
“Every firearm sold has been bought and paid for. No exception, no discounts even,” he said, adding that any suggestion that these sales were irregularly concluded would be ‘defamatory’.
Kapofi said while the acquisition of arms is not done through public procurement due to security sensitivities, the process is internally transparent.
“There are processes that we follow, including soliciting many quotations from various manufacturers so that we go for the most competitive price."
Murder charges
Boulter (54), who has multimillion-dollar investments in Namibia, acquired permanent resident status in 2017. He owns an exclusive hunting farm in Kamanjab and has a substantial stake in the Am Weinberg Estate. He is also heavily involved in aerospace, defence and military enterprises.
Since 2021, he has been fighting murder charges after the death of his farm manager Gerhard van Wyk (54), who was shot during a scuffle at a braai on the Kamanjab farm.
Boulter has so far maintained that the death was accidental, and spent months in hospital after the incident, during which his hand was badly injured.
Details about the deal are sketchy, but Namibian Sun understands it could be worth up to N$30 million.
Boulter allegedly submitted an unsolicited quotation to the defence ministry, outlining his product offering.
Minister Frans Kapofi said no deal has been concluded with Boulter’s company, adding that the ministry traditionally prefers to acquire its bulk arms supplies directly from manufacturers.
The ministry further prefers state-owned manufacturers rather than private entities, he said.
He did not explain the reasons for these preferences.
“To the best of my knowledge, we have not entered into any arms contract with him [Boulter]. On an urgent basis when we need products in small volumes, we could turn to a private company for supply, but for anything running into many millions of dollars, we like dealing directly with manufacturers and not through third parties,” the minister said.
Optimistic
Boulter said while no deal has been concluded, he is optimistic about his offer.
“I acknowledge the intense competitiveness of the arms industry and the lengthy process of securing sales. While no orders have been finalised with the Namibian government to date, I remain optimistic,” he said.
Asked why, he noted: "The combination of our superior products, advantageous pricing and the high ethical standards we maintain positions us favourably for future opportunities".
“This business model allows for volume pricing, highly sought-after by government customers. The result is a dual advantage for Namibia; access to state-of-the-art security products at prices that are budget-friendly.”
On talks that he submitted an unsolicited proposal to the defence force, Boulter said: “I don't know their procurement process, and that is their process to run”.
No discounts
Namibian Sun understands that SX Arms and Ammunition has conducted similar business with other security apparatuses in Namibia, but Boulter was coy on this assertion.
“Every firearm sold has been bought and paid for. No exception, no discounts even,” he said, adding that any suggestion that these sales were irregularly concluded would be ‘defamatory’.
Kapofi said while the acquisition of arms is not done through public procurement due to security sensitivities, the process is internally transparent.
“There are processes that we follow, including soliciting many quotations from various manufacturers so that we go for the most competitive price."
Murder charges
Boulter (54), who has multimillion-dollar investments in Namibia, acquired permanent resident status in 2017. He owns an exclusive hunting farm in Kamanjab and has a substantial stake in the Am Weinberg Estate. He is also heavily involved in aerospace, defence and military enterprises.
Since 2021, he has been fighting murder charges after the death of his farm manager Gerhard van Wyk (54), who was shot during a scuffle at a braai on the Kamanjab farm.
Boulter has so far maintained that the death was accidental, and spent months in hospital after the incident, during which his hand was badly injured.
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