…as naked State House intruder’s family demands proof
Justicia Shipena
The Namibian Police (Nampol) is mum on whether inspector general Joseph Shikongo’s reported suspension comes with full benefits.
Responding to questions from the media, Nampol spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi did not directly address whether Shikongo remains entitled to his salary and benefits during the suspension.
Instead, Shikwambi referred the media to the Presidency’s press release — a statement whose silence on the conditions of Shikongo’s suspension now speaks even louder.
“Kindly refer to the press release by the Office of the President for further guidance on this matter,” Shikwambi said.
In that same statement, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah merely announced the appointment of Anne-Marie Nainda as acting inspector general of the Namibian Police Force.
Nowhere in the statement does Nandi-Ndaitwah mention the duration of Joseph Shikongo’s suspension, whether he remains on full benefits, or whether any formal investigation has been launched against him while he is on suspension.
Shikongo served nearly four years as inspector general of Nampol after his appointment by the late president Hage Geingob.
He succeeded Sebastian Ndeitunga, who retired from the position. Shikongo served as police chief from August 2022 until May 2026.
Before leading Nampol, Shikongo held several senior positions within the force, including roles in criminal investigations, regional command, and senior management structures.
He was appointed Khomas regional police commander in 2019 before rising to deputy inspector general for operations in 2021. He later assumed office as head of Nampol in 2022.
His suspension comes in the wake of last week’s security breach at State House and a reshuffle of senior police commanders that he implemented during the same week. The transfers took effect on 1 May.
Under the changes, former presidential security chief commissioner Andreas Nelumbu was reassigned to Kavango West.
Commissioner Naftal Sakaria, who served as Oshana regional commander, was then appointed as the new head of presidential security.
“The head of presidential security has been reassigned in line with internal operational requirements, as communicated in the press release issued on 28 April 2026,” said Shikwambi.
Family of alleged intruder was unaware of arrest
At the back of it, the family of 29-year-old Giano Seibeb, who was allegedly found naked inside a residence on the State House premises in Windhoek last Thursday, is demanding answers from authorities about how he accessed the heavily secured area and why they were not informed about his arrest.
The family says they want CCTV footage released to show exactly how Seibeb entered the premises, arguing that people cannot be punished without evidence explaining the circumstances surrounding the incident.
In a social media post shared on Wednesday, family member Melani Seibes said the family had already filed a missing persons report after Seibeb allegedly disappeared on 21 April.
“As a family member of Giano Seibeb, we also want to see how he entered. We want to see the footage of everything, because you can’t just decide to punish someone without proof,” she wrote.
According to the family, Seibeb had reportedly run away from a mental health facility where he was receiving treatment. They claim they had been searching for him for days and were unaware that he had allegedly been arrested at State House until they saw reports circulating on social media and in the news.
“We have even filed a missing persons report since 21 April, but we didn’t get any help because he ran from the mental health department where he was, and they also started looking for him last Thursday, the week he went missing from there, and we didn’t even know that he was arrested. We only saw yesterday on the news and Facebook.”
Seibeb made his first court appearance on Tuesday in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on charges of trespassing, housebreaking with intent to commit an offence and contravening section 7 of the Immoral Practices Act.
According to court proceedings, Seibeb allegedly passed several security points and entered the residence of Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah at State House on 30 April 2026.
The court heard that Seibeb had been admitted to the mental health ward at Windhoek Central Hospital, where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
He allegedly left the facility without formal discharge.
The police have, however, declined to explain how the suspect managed to bypass security and access the private section of State House, saying the matter forms part of the ongoing investigation.
Questions over the release of CCTV footage have also been dismissed for now.
“The concerns raised are noted. However, the matters referred to, including access and CCTV footage, form part of the ongoing investigation and cannot be disclosed at this stage,” Shikwambi said.
Shikwambi also addressed claims by the family of Seibeb, who alleged that they had earlier reported him missing at Otjomuise Police Station.
According to Shikwambi, the man was reported missing on Friday, 24 April, at around 14h00 after he had allegedly disappeared on 21 April.
She said the mother later informed police that he had been seen at the Otjomuise shopping centre before confirming on 28 April that he had been found.
“This information was received prior to the matter being referred to the public relations division; therefore, no media release as a missing person was issued,” she said.
Shikwambi said a criminal case has been opened following the recent security breach at State House.
“A criminal case has been opened and is currently under investigation. As the matter is sub judice, no further details can be provided at this stage. The public will be updated once the investigation has been concluded,” she said.
