File photo: Mac-Albert Hengari,
By Deborah Nnamdi
Namibia’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, Mac-Albert Hengari, has stepped down just 27 days into his term after being arrested on serious criminal charges.
According to the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), the arrest was confirmed by Presidential Press Secretary Alfredo Hengari. The minister, appointed on March 22 by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, was detained on Saturday alongside another individual.
Police Inspector General, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo, stated that formal charges would be filed on Sunday, with Hengari expected to appear in court on Monday. Although specific charges were not initially disclosed, Shikongo confirmed that the former minister is being investigated for 11 offenses, including kidnapping, rape, and assault.
NBC reported that Hengari allegedly attempted to bribe a victim to drop a case involving multiple instances of sexual misconduct with a minor, occurring between 2019 and September 2024. The co-accused is reportedly related to the victim.
Shikongo noted that the nature of the case left law enforcement with “no option” but to take Hengari into custody.
This marks a rare instance of a sitting minister resigning due to criminal charges in Namibia. The last major resignations occurred in 2019, when former ministers Sacky Shanghala and Bernhard Esau stepped down amid the “Fishrot” corruption scandal involving bribery and money laundering in the fishing sector.
