Namibia sacks minister accused of rape, may face prosecution

Namibia’s president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has dismissed the southern African country’s agriculture minister, who Namibian media have reported is under investigation for alleged rape, her office said on Sunday.

A police spokesperson has confirmed the ongoing investigation into Mac Hengari to the Namibian press, which has reported that a minor has accused the agriculture minister of raping her.

“President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has relieved Hon. Dr. Mac-Albert Hengari of his duties as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform,” the president’s office said in a statement shared on social media.

“The termination of tenure takes effect from Wednesday, 23 April 2025, when Hon. Dr. Mac-Albert Hengari should have tendered his resignation,” it added.

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According to the Namibian press, Hengari may also face prosecution for abduction and abortion, which is illegal in the conservative southern African country.

Since March, Namibia has been led by Nandi-Ndaitwah, the first woman to become president of the sparsely populated and uranium-rich country.

She is a veteran of the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), which has been in power since independence in 1990.

AFP