NAMIBIA’S president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has relieved the country’s minister of agriculture, who, according to local media reports, is under investigation for alleged misconduct.
Nandi-Ndaitwah’s office announced this in a statement shared on X on Sunday.
“The termination of tenure takes effect from Wednesday, 23 April 2025, when Hon. Dr. Mac-Albert Hengari should have tendered his resignation. Hon. Hengari has also been withdrawn from the National Assembly,” the statement read.
The president appointed Hengari in March after assuming office to lead one of the country’s top economic portfolios, despite an ongoing police investigation over rape allegations dating back to 2024.
The allegations against Hengari surfaced on social media shortly after his appointment. They were raised by investment scheme operator-turned-activist Michael Amushelelo, who accused the police of covering up the rape case involving a 16-year-old.
Amushelelo also demanded that Hengari resign as minister, warning that if he refused, more evidence would be published against him.
However, the country’s Police Inspector-General, Joseph Shikongo, denied claims that the police downgraded the charge and attempted to bury the case.
Shikongo also denied allegations that the police refused to assist the alleged victim or pressured her into silence.
He explained that the case had been under investigation for five years because of its complexity.
A police spokesperson immediately released a statement two weeks after Hengari’s appointment that there was an ongoing investigation of a minor who had accused the agriculture minister of raping her.
According to local media, Hengari may also face prosecution for abduction and abortion, which is illegal in the conservative southern African country.
In March, the ICIR reported that Nandi-Ndaitwah became the first woman to lead Namibia, adding to the growing list of African nations that have elected women to the highest political office.
She is popularly known as NNN and a long-time loyalist of the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) that has governed Namibia since its independence from South Africa in 1990.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues.