Namibia’s former agriculture minister Mac Hengari. PHOTO: Namibian Presidency
Namibia’s President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has dismissed Agriculture Minister Mac Hengari following allegations that he is under police investigation for rape. The announcement came on Sunday as police confirmed that an inquiry was opened against Hengari, who had only recently been appointed to the cabinet in March.
According to local media reports, a minor has accused Hengari of rape. Further reports suggest he may also face additional charges related to abduction and facilitating an illegal abortion, which remains prohibited under Namibian law.
“President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has relieved Hon. Dr. Mac-Albert Hengari of his duties as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform,” the presidency said in an official statement. “The termination of tenure takes effect from Wednesday, 23 April 2025, when Hon. Dr. Mac-Albert Hengari should have tendered his resignation.”
The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), Namibia’s main opposition party, strongly condemned the situation. In a statement, IPC described it as “a profound failure of leadership” and accused the government of failing to uphold its commitments to tackling gender-based violence.
“This scandal exposes the hollowness of government rhetoric on protecting women and children,” the IPC said. The party also criticized Nandi-Ndaitwah for appointing Hengari despite an alleged ongoing investigation dating back to November 2024.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah, who made history in March as Namibia’s first female head of state, is now facing mounting pressure to improve transparency and accountability within her administration.
Namibia, a country with a population of about three million, has been struggling with high rates of gender-based violence. In 2022 alone, the nation recorded 1,378 cases of rape and a total of 5,356 gender-based violence cases.
Nandi-Ndaitwah is a veteran leader from the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), the liberation movement that has ruled Namibia since its independence from South Africa in 1990.
