Namibian Minister Fired After Rape Allegation Involving Teen Girl

• Apr 29, 2025

Namibia’s agriculture minister Mac-Albert Hengari has been dismissed after he was accused of raping a teenage girl five years ago.

Hengari, 59, was arrested on Saturday after reportedly trying to bribe the now 21-year-old woman to withdraw the case, according to Namibian police. He was brought before a magistrates' court in the capital, Windhoek, on Monday and denied bail.

While the official statement from President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s office did not mention the reason for his removal, it confirmed Hengari had been sacked from both his ministerial position and the National Assembly. He was serving in parliament as a representative of the ruling Swapo party, nominated by the president herself.

The charges Hengari faces are serious and include rape, kidnapping, and assault. He is also being investigated for obstructing justice following the alleged attempt to interfere with the victim. Police say he and a co-accused will remain in custody until their next hearing, which is scheduled for June 3. Bail was denied due to concerns they could flee or tamper with witnesses.

This scandal comes just weeks into President Nandi-Ndaitwah’s historic term. She became Namibia’s first female president last month and had unveiled a groundbreaking cabinet with women holding nine out of 14 ministerial positions, including the vice-presidency.

The opposition party, Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), strongly criticised the government’s handling of the situation. In a statement, they called Hengari’s arrest a “profound failure of leadership” and a reflection of the government’s “hollow rhetoric” on gender-based violence.

The IPC further questioned the vetting process used for appointments, alleging that a criminal investigation into Hengari had already been opened in November 2024 — before he was appointed.

Namibia has seen a rising number of gender-based violence cases, with over 4,800 reported in the last year alone, in a country of just three million people.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah, a long-time Swapo member who won the November 2024 election with 58% of the vote, now faces growing pressure to show her government is serious about protecting women and ensuring accountability.