Allexer Namundjembo
Political analysts say the arrest of former agriculture minister Mac-Albert Hengari has exposed weaknesses early on in President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s leadership.
Political analyst Henning Melber said the situation reflects poor judgement in Cabinet appointments.
“This is a bad omen for NNN’s first weeks in office. It indicates that there was no proper vetting process done for the Cabinet appointments. Given the evidence already existing, Hengari should never have become a minister,” he said.
Melber added that “innocent until proven guilty has a different meaning”.
He said Nandi-Ndaitwah’s image of moral leadership had been damaged and questioned how her Christian values allowed Hengari’s appointment.
“I am afraid that NNN has to eat humble pie on a number of matters. A bad, if not incompetent, recruitment of ministers is one of these. Her position, as guided by moral leadership, has been damaged,” said Melber.
Political analyst Johannes Sackaria said he was not surprised by Hengari’s arrest.
He suggested that investigations were already underway and that the president may have had access to crucial evidence before events unfolded publicly.
“Maybe the president had some evidence leading him to write the letter on the 23rd, but it was probably not communicated, as there was some evidence needed before it was made public,” Sackaria said.
Sackaria added that the way the case has been managed raises concerns about how the new administration is operating.
“If this is how they are operating, the new administration may be questionable,” he added.
Director of the Institute for Public Policy Research, Graham Hopwood, said the most important development is that Hengari is now out of both Cabinet and the National Assembly.
“Since there is no precedent for such a situation in independent Namibia, there is no established procedure for handling it. The most crucial aspect going forward is to ensure that his replacement – and any future appointments – are subject to stringent due diligence,” he said.
He stressed that Cabinet members must be held to the highest ethical standards and that any hint of impropriety should automatically disqualify candidates.
The criticism follows an announcement from the Presidency that Nandi-Ndaitwah had relieved Hengari of his duties, effective Wednesday, 23 April.
However, confusion grew after it emerged that Hengari did not resign publicly, and the presidency did not confirm his resignation beforehand.
Presidential press secretary Alfredo Hengari on Sunday only confirmed that the disgraced Hengari is no longer a member of the executive and the National Assembly.
The press secretary told the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) that the former minister had indeed resigned only after his arrest.
The resignation letter, according to the press secretary, was submitted following the incident, casting doubt on whether the resignation was voluntary or a reaction to the arrest.
Hengari was taken into custody on Saturday after allegedly attempting to bribe the victim to drop charges in an ongoing rape investigation.
According to the Inspector General of the Namibian Police, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo, Hengari is expected to face formal charges and make a court appearance soon.
“The team is working to compile the charges, and he will be charged during the course of the day so he may appear in court later today,” Shikongo said.
The police also revealed that the individual arrested alongside Hengari is related to the victim. The other person’s identity was withheld pending court proceedings.
The rape allegations stem from a case involving a minor, with whom Hengari is alleged to have had repeated sexual contact between 2019 and September 2024.
The bribery incident that led to his arrest reportedly occurred during an attempt to convince the victim to withdraw the case.
As the matter develops, questions regarding the timing and communication of Hengari’s resignation and dismissal, as well as questions about the administration’s approach to handling allegations involving high-ranking officials, continue to circulate.
