Ondangwa court officials absent amid fear
Budget constraints hamper enhanced security measures
Only one prosecutor was available to handle four courtrooms at the Ondangwa magistrate’s and regional courts yesterday, while one magistrate was conspicuously absent amid growing fears among judicial staff following Friday’s brutal attack on a prosecutor at her home.
A Namibian Sun visit to the courts revealed that the shortage left three district courts and the regional court operating with a single prosecutor, forcing widespread case postponements.
Due to the acute shortage, one courtroom was using a police officer to postpone cases – a function ordinarily performed by magistrates in consultation with prosecutors.
The tension follows last week’s shocking attack on Ondangwa control and regional court prosecutor Justine Shiweda, who was shot and seriously injured by unknown assailants at her home. She survived and is currently receiving medical treatment. The incident, which came just days after a break-in at her house, has left her colleagues shaken and fearful.
‘No extra security’
Police investigations are underway. But judicial staff expressed disappointment that no visible security measures were implemented when they returned to work on Monday.
“Today it’s business as usual at court. No reserve force. No extra protection. Nothing,” one court employee said. “These people are not serious – not the police, not the prosecutor-general’s office, not the judiciary. They just don’t care.”
Although it remains unclear whether the attack was work-related or personal, similar incidents targeting court staff have been reported in recent years.
Judiciary cites budget constraints
Executive director in the Office of the Judiciary Benhardt Kukuri acknowledged that inadequate funding from Treasury continues to undermine efforts to strengthen security at courts across the country.
“Only judges receive police protection at their homes. Magistrates and prosecutors, who handle dangerous cases daily, often live under unsafe conditions,” he said.
Kukuri explained that the judiciary’s ability to enhance security depends entirely on what it receives from the national budget and the cooperation of stakeholders such as the police.
“We can only work with what we have. If there are no funds, we can only advise officials to take care of themselves. It’s a costly and complex issue that needs serious intervention,” he stressed.
He confirmed that Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court has long been considered a security hotspot and said he will follow up on the latest incident upon his return from travel abroad.
Kukuri added that concerns about court safety were also raised during the parliamentary standing committee on constitutional, legal affairs and petitions’ stakeholder consultations in Opuwo in July, which aimed to strengthen oversight and dialogue with justice-sector institutions.
Police urge calm
Oshana police regional commander Commissioner Naftal Lungameni Sakaria appealed for calm, saying the incident should not create panic or the perception that courts are unsafe.
“This is an isolated incident – probably the first of its kind,” Sakaria said. “Investigations are ongoing, and we hope to get to the bottom of it. I don’t want to raise [the] alarm. People are safe.”
He said additional officers have been deployed to Ondangwa courts and that law enforcement will continue ensuring the safety of court officials.
“People should also take precautions. We have officers at courts across the region. However, only judges receive home protection, and it’s impossible to assign security to every magistrate and prosecutor given our limited resources,” he added.
A pattern of intimidation
The Ondangwa attack follows a troubling pattern of violence and intimidation against judicial officers in Namibia.
In August 2007, the home of then Oshakati district magistrate Thomas Kanime was petrol-bombed in Ongwediva while he presided over a high-profile case involving a local family. He later recused himself, describing the attack as an act of intimidation.
In 2023, magistrate Nelao Ya France sentenced Jeremia Nadhipite Shipanga to three months in jail for contempt of court after he hurled a shoe and charged at a female prosecutor during proceedings at Ondangwa.
And in October 2024, a suspected arson attack destroyed the public prosecutors’ offices at the Gobabis Magistrate’s Court, drawing condemnation from the Magistrates and Judges Association of Namibia, which warned that inadequate security at courts nationwide had become a national concern.
Earlier in 2024, a convicted drug dealer attacked magistrate Unchen Konjore inside the Keetmanshoop Magistrate’s Court, leaping over the accused dock and striking her in the face after sentencing.
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A Namibian Sun visit to the courts revealed that the shortage left three district courts and the regional court operating with a single prosecutor, forcing widespread case postponements.
Due to the acute shortage, one courtroom was using a police officer to postpone cases – a function ordinarily performed by magistrates in consultation with prosecutors.
The tension follows last week’s shocking attack on Ondangwa control and regional court prosecutor Justine Shiweda, who was shot and seriously injured by unknown assailants at her home. She survived and is currently receiving medical treatment. The incident, which came just days after a break-in at her house, has left her colleagues shaken and fearful.
‘No extra security’
Police investigations are underway. But judicial staff expressed disappointment that no visible security measures were implemented when they returned to work on Monday.
“Today it’s business as usual at court. No reserve force. No extra protection. Nothing,” one court employee said. “These people are not serious – not the police, not the prosecutor-general’s office, not the judiciary. They just don’t care.”
Although it remains unclear whether the attack was work-related or personal, similar incidents targeting court staff have been reported in recent years.
Judiciary cites budget constraints
Executive director in the Office of the Judiciary Benhardt Kukuri acknowledged that inadequate funding from Treasury continues to undermine efforts to strengthen security at courts across the country.
“Only judges receive police protection at their homes. Magistrates and prosecutors, who handle dangerous cases daily, often live under unsafe conditions,” he said.
Kukuri explained that the judiciary’s ability to enhance security depends entirely on what it receives from the national budget and the cooperation of stakeholders such as the police.
“We can only work with what we have. If there are no funds, we can only advise officials to take care of themselves. It’s a costly and complex issue that needs serious intervention,” he stressed.
He confirmed that Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court has long been considered a security hotspot and said he will follow up on the latest incident upon his return from travel abroad.
Kukuri added that concerns about court safety were also raised during the parliamentary standing committee on constitutional, legal affairs and petitions’ stakeholder consultations in Opuwo in July, which aimed to strengthen oversight and dialogue with justice-sector institutions.
Police urge calm
Oshana police regional commander Commissioner Naftal Lungameni Sakaria appealed for calm, saying the incident should not create panic or the perception that courts are unsafe.
“This is an isolated incident – probably the first of its kind,” Sakaria said. “Investigations are ongoing, and we hope to get to the bottom of it. I don’t want to raise [the] alarm. People are safe.”
He said additional officers have been deployed to Ondangwa courts and that law enforcement will continue ensuring the safety of court officials.
“People should also take precautions. We have officers at courts across the region. However, only judges receive home protection, and it’s impossible to assign security to every magistrate and prosecutor given our limited resources,” he added.
A pattern of intimidation
The Ondangwa attack follows a troubling pattern of violence and intimidation against judicial officers in Namibia.
In August 2007, the home of then Oshakati district magistrate Thomas Kanime was petrol-bombed in Ongwediva while he presided over a high-profile case involving a local family. He later recused himself, describing the attack as an act of intimidation.
In 2023, magistrate Nelao Ya France sentenced Jeremia Nadhipite Shipanga to three months in jail for contempt of court after he hurled a shoe and charged at a female prosecutor during proceedings at Ondangwa.
And in October 2024, a suspected arson attack destroyed the public prosecutors’ offices at the Gobabis Magistrate’s Court, drawing condemnation from the Magistrates and Judges Association of Namibia, which warned that inadequate security at courts nationwide had become a national concern.
Earlier in 2024, a convicted drug dealer attacked magistrate Unchen Konjore inside the Keetmanshoop Magistrate’s Court, leaping over the accused dock and striking her in the face after sentencing.
- [email protected]
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