Hengari and co-accused denied bail

In a courtroom packed with relatives of the two accused and a 21-year-old alleged rape victim, former agriculture minister Mac Hengari (59) and his 30-year-old co-accused made their first appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where they were denied bail.

Hengari was arrested on Saturday after allegedly attempting to bribe a woman, now 21, to withdraw allegations of rape against him.

Hengari has denied any wrongdoing.

According to the indictment, Hengari and his co-accused, the brother of the alleged rape victim, were arrested on 26 April after allegedly attempting to pay a N$222 000 bribe to persuade the woman to withdraw the accusations she has made against the disgraced former minister.

The alleged rape victim’s brother flew in from Germany to facilitate the payment, and the two were caught while allegedly attempting to hand over the money.

The pair each face a charge of defeating the ends of justice, linked to alleged violations of the Riotous Assemblies Act.

State prosecutor Seredine Jacobs yesterday opposed bail, citing fears that Hengari could interfere with police investigations.

The ex-minister's co-accused, who lives in Germany, was also denied bail on the grounds that he poses a flight risk.

Jacobs requested a postponement while the State awaits the finalisation and collection of two public witnesses’ statements, as well as the extraction of forensic evidence from electronic devices, which were not specified during the brief court appearance.

The duo will remain in custody at the Windhoek Correctional Facility until their next scheduled court appearance on 3 June.

Hengari is represented by Milton Engelbretch, while his co-accused is represented by Enos Mwakondange.

Serious allegations against former minister

Additionally, Hengari is being investigated on 11 charges relating to rape, kidnapping and forcing an abortion.

Although Hengari has neither been arrested nor formally charged based on these allegations, he stands accused of repeatedly raping the woman from the time she was 16, with incidents allegedly occurring between 2019 and September 2024. The woman opened a criminal case in November 2024, also accusing the minister of forcing her to terminate a pregnancy.

Hengari was stripped of his title as agriculture minister by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah a few days before his arrest. Despite the seriousness of the allegations against him, Hengari attended Nandi-Ndaitwah’s maiden state of the nation address (Sona) on 24 April and was allegedly present in parliament again on Friday.

Prior to his 30-day tenure as minister, Hengari held significant roles in the country's economic and academic sectors. He served as the director of the Namibia Business School and was the chief economist at the Namibia Investment Centre.

The former minister also previously served as the personal assistant to then Prime Minister Hage Geingob before taking on the role of coordinator for the Civil Service College project for a few months. In March 2003, he went to France to further his studies.

Family turmoil

Meanwhile, Zelna Hengari, wife of the former minister, has also been in the spotlight after Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) won a protracted court battle against her. She was ordered to pay legal costs estimated at N$500 000 after losing a N$7.5 million reputational damage claim against NWR, tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta and former public enterprises minister Leon Jooste.

The dispute centred on a 30-year deal signed under her leadership with Sun Karros for developments at Sesriem, which was later deemed invalid for violating procurement laws. Hengari was accused of falsely claiming the agreement had board approval.