PA to first gentleman fired over fraudulent overtime claims

A personal assistant to First Gentleman Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah has been dismissed after allegedly fraudulently claiming overtime over an extended period, Namibian Sun has learned.

Sam Inghamba, a political appointee in the Office of the First Gentleman, is accused of claiming overtime for every day of the month - from the 1st to the last - despite not having worked the hours.

The irregularities reportedly went undetected for months and only came to light when overtime submissions processed in September, November and December 2025 were flagged for payment. This triggered a review that uncovered a consistent pattern of claims dating back to the start of his tenure.

The total amount allegedly claimed fraudulently has not yet been disclosed, with authorities still working to determine the full financial impact.

Inghamba has since been dismissed, although it remains unclear whether he has been replaced.

The case has raised fresh concerns about oversight and accountability within the offices of senior state officials, particularly regarding political appointees who may not be subject to the same scrutiny as career civil servants.

Executive director and accounting officer in the Office of the President, Matheus Kaholongo, confirmed the dismissal.

“I can confirm that he has been relieved from his duties after the office discovered that he has been claiming for hours based on functions he has not performed,” Kaholongo said.

He added that an investigation is underway to establish the full extent of the losses.

“We have an amount, but we are still trying to arrive at a total cost of what the government has lost,” he said.

Kaholongo criticised the nature of the claims, describing them as excessive and unjustifiable.

“He claimed beyond what is acceptable in terms of Public Service Commission guidelines - for example, how do you claim that you worked on Christmas Day when you were enjoying time with your family? Who works on Christmas Day?” he said.

He also indicated that the investigation could widen to include other staff members.

“We are looking at whether there are others who may have been involved. We do not want to jeopardise the process,” he said.

Inghamba was appointed in March 2025, shortly after President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah assumed office, with her husband taking on the role of first gentleman.

Efforts to obtain comment from Inghamba were unsuccessful. His mobile phone went unanswered, and questions sent to him had not been responded to by the time of publication.

Last year, Inghamba announced his candidacy for the Windhoek City Council ahead of the local authority elections, pledging to prioritise service delivery, land access and the formalisation of informal settlements. He remains on Swapo’s candidate list for the council.