Namibia’s Minister of Agriculture has been dismissed after being accused of raping a 16-year-old girl five years ago.
Mac-Albert Hengari was arrested on Saturday, suspected of attempting to bribe the victim, now 21, to withdraw her complaint, according to police authorities.
The 59-year-old Hengari, who denies any involvement, appeared in court on Monday where his request for bail was denied. The scandal marks the first major challenge for Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Namibia’s first female president, who took office just a month ago.
In a statement, the presidency announced Hengari’s dismissal without specifying the reasons but confirmed that he was also expelled from the National Assembly. Hengari, who served as a member of Parliament representing the ruling Swapo party, is under investigation for multiple charges, including kidnapping, rape, and assault.
During Monday’s hearing at a magistrate’s court in Windhoek, he was additionally charged with obstruction of justice. He and his co-accused will remain in custody until their next court appearance on June 3, with bail denied due to the risk of flight and witness tampering.
The opposition party, Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), reacted by condemning what it called a “serious failure of leadership” and stressed that the case highlighted “the emptiness of government rhetoric on combating gender-based violence.”