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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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”.

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.

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”.

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.

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.