Namibia’s President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has dismissed Agriculture Minister Mac-Albert Hengari following his arrest over allegations of raping a 16-year-old girl five years ago.

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According to police, Hengari was taken into custody on Saturday after he allegedly tried to bribe the woman now 21 to drop the case.

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The 59-year-old politician, who has denied the accusations, appeared before a magistrates’ court in Windhoek on Monday, where he was denied bail.

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The president’s office announced Hengari’s removal from both his ministerial role and his seat in the National Assembly, though it did not state the reasons behind the decision.

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Hengari had been serving in parliament as a representative of the ruling Swapo party, having been appointed by the president.

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Police say he is facing multiple charges tied to the incident, including rape, kidnapping, and assault.

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On Monday, he was formally charged with obstructing the course of justice. He and a co-accused will remain in custody until their next court date on June 3, after the court ruled they could pose a flight risk or attempt to contact witnesses.

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Hengari’s arrest is the first major controversy to hit President Nandi-Ndaitwah’s new administration. She took office just last month, making history as Namibia’s first female president.

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The Independent Patriots for Change, a leading opposition party, responded strongly to the news, saying Hengari’s arrest “on allegations of rape, kidnapping and forced abortion” was a “profound failure of leadership and exposes the hollowness of government rhetoric on gender-based violence”.

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The party noted that the incident occurred in a broader context of widespread violence against women in the country, pointing out that “widespread gender violence” saw 4,814 reported cases last year, in a nation of just three million people.

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They also questioned the government’s internal processes, criticizing the appointment of Hengari even though “a criminal investigation had allegedly been opened in November 2024”.

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Last month, President Nandi-Ndaitwah introduced what many described as a landmark cabinet for gender inclusion, with women making up nine of the 14 ministerial roles, including the vice-president.

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The 72-year-old Swapo veteran won the presidency in November 2024 with 58% of the vote. Her party has governed Namibia since the country’s independence from apartheid-era South Africa in 1990.

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