Renthia Kaimbi
Chief Justice Peter Shivute on Friday convened a meeting with key stakeholders to review a security assessment aimed at strengthening the protection of over 400 prosecutors and judicial officers, the Windhoek Observer understands.
Sources close to the matter said the meeting focused on an assessment conducted by a task team established to examine the security needs of members of the justice system, including their safety at court premises and at their private residences.
The report is expected to be submitted to Cabinet and the Office of the Prime Minister in the coming weeks for consideration, approval and possible implementation of its recommendations.
The development comes months after the death of Ondangwa regional control prosecutor Justine Shiweda, whose fatal attack heightened concerns over the safety of prosecutors and magistrates across the country.
Shiweda, 32, died on 7 February from injuries sustained during an attack in October 2025, when she was reportedly shot and doused with a corrosive substance.
Her death prompted renewed calls for stronger security measures for members of the judiciary and prosecution services, including round-the-clock protection at their homes.
In February, Justice and Labour Relations Minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel formally requested residential security for approximately 400 magistrates and prosecutors nationwide.
In a letter dated 21 February addressed to safety and security minister Lucia Iipumbu and copied to President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Immanuel argued that the growing threats against officers of the court required urgent intervention.
“Following the vicious and monstrous attack on our late, learned and incorruptible friend, Justine Shiweda, who has since sadly succumbed to her injuries, and the notable growing threats on the security of magistrates and prosecutors, a call to action is louder than before,” Immanuel wrote at the time.
The minister also warned that threats against members of the justice system could have consequences beyond the safety of individual officers.
“Clearly, the loss of Ms Shiweda’s life, was not only personal to those who knew her, but a profound blow to the justice system, which she served with courage and integrity; hence, any attempt by anyone to perpetuate similar attack(s), real or imaginary, must be met with collective and proportionate force,” he stated.
Immanuel had called for security personnel to be deployed to the residences of judicial and prosecutorial officers across the country, arguing that protection should extend beyond court premises.
“When either their workplaces or homes cease to be a source[s] of safety, the independence and effectiveness of the entire justice system are compromised,” Immanuel wrote.
“Thus, for all practical intents, fear must never become a silent influence over either judicial or prosecutorial decision-making.”
At the time, a technical committee was already conducting a security assessment for the justice sector. Immanuel, however, maintained that immediate measures should be considered while the assessment was underway.
“It is both logical and revolutionary that [the] safety of those who administer justice cannot be weighed lightly against budgetary considerations,” he wrote, calling for the financial implications of the proposed security arrangements to be addressed “with tenacity and urgency”.
The latest meeting chaired by Shivute appears to represent a further step in that process, as stakeholders consider the findings and recommendations contained in the security assessment.
The scope of the assessment is understood to include the personal security of prosecutors and judicial officers away from their workplaces, as well as security arrangements at courts.
Once finalised, the report is expected to move to Cabinet and the Office of the Prime Minister, where the proposed measures will be considered before any decision is taken on their approval and implementation.
The issue has previously attracted strong statements from the highest levels of government and the judiciary.
Speaking at Shiweda’s funeral, Shivute warned that attacks against officers of the court posed a threat to the constitutional order.
“When an officer of the court is harmed while carrying out lawful duties, it is not merely an attack on an individual; it is an attack on the system of justice that protects us all,” he said at the time.
Nandi-Ndaitwah similarly stated that “no officer of the court should be required to discharge their duties under fear, intimidation or threat”.
Immanuel had also urged the government to act before another member of the justice system became a victim.
“The incidents forming the basis of this letter do not merely call for interventions; they summon bold and radical leadership,” he stated.
“The time for action is now. Accordingly, we cannot afford to wait for another life to be threatened or lost before taking the necessary steps.”
The Friday meeting is expected to provide an indication of how the government intends to respond to the security concerns raised following Shiweda’s death and whether the proposed protection measures, including residential security, will now move closer to implementation.
The issue of funding is also expected to remain central, given that the earlier request involved security protection for over 400 prosecutors and magistrates across the country.
