Namibian agric minister sacked after being accused of rape

Namibia's agriculture minister has been fired. He is accused of raping a 16-year-old girl five years ago.

Mac-Albert Hengari was arrested on April 26. Police say he tried to bribe the victim, now 21, to drop the case. Hengari, 59, denies any wrongdoing and appeared in court on Monday. He was denied bail.

This scandal is significant for Namibia's first female President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. She took office last month. The president's statement did not explain the reasons for Hengari's dismissal. It confirmed that he was also removed from the National Assembly.

Hengari was nominated to parliament by the president to represent Swapo, the ruling party. He faces multiple charges including kidnapping, rape, and assault. On Monday, he appeared in a magistrates' court in Windhoek for obstructing justice.

Hengari and his co-accused will stay in custody until June 3 for their next hearing. They were denied bail due to flight risk concerns and potential witness tampering.

The opposition party Independent Patriots for Change criticized Hengari’s arrest as a failure of leadership. They said it highlights government shortcomings on gender-based violence issues. Last year, there were 4,814 reported cases of gender violence in Namibia.

The country has a population of three million people. The party also questioned the vetting process used by the president before appointing Hengari. They noted that an investigation into him began in November 2024.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah recently announced a cabinet with strong female representation—nine out of fourteen members are women, including the vice-president. She won November’s election with 58% of the vote and is a long-time member of Swapo, which has ruled since independence in 1990 after fighting against apartheid South Africa.