Sankwasa sued over ‘rented wife’ remarks
RedForce Debt Management owner Selma Nangombe has filed a N$200 000 defamation lawsuit against urban and rural development minister Sankwasa James Sankwasa, accusing him of making defamatory remarks suggesting that she is a “rented wife” of her Zimbabwean-born husband, who serves as the company’s CEO.
Her husband, Julius Nyamazana, is the second applicant in the matter that emanates from a televised interview that Sankwasa conducted in August.
In court papers filed at the Windhoek High Court, Nangombe and Nyamazana claim that Sankwasa’s comments on The Evening Review programme - aired on 13 August - suggested their marriage was a sham and that their company was not genuinely Namibian-owned.
During the interview, the minister remarked that “foreign nationals... sometimes rent a wife and form a company, qualify for citizenship... They sometimes use their women to get where they want to get to,” adding that while some entities may be Namibian-registered, “they do not necessarily benefit Namibia.”
The couple allege that these comments directly referred to them and their business, following a directive Sankwasa issued two days earlier instructing all local authorities not to enter or renew contracts with RedForce. The company, which handles municipal debt recovery across the country, has faced public scrutiny over its collection practices.
According to the couple, Sankwasa’s statements implied that their marriage was fraudulent and motivated by citizenship and business benefits, portraying them as “corrupt individuals without moral fibre.” They argue that the remarks were “false, unlawful and intended to injure their good name, reputation and human dignity.”
The lawsuit, filed by Ileni Gebhardt & Co Inc., demands that Sankwasa retract his statements and issue a public apology within five days of a court order. The plaintiffs also seek payment of N$200 000 in damages plus interest and costs.
Nangombe and Nyamazana said the remarks caused them “psychological trauma, distress, stigma, shame, disgrace and dishonour,” in violation of their constitutional rights to dignity and family life.
Another separate lawsuit
In a separate lawsuit filed this week, RedForce is also embroiled in a high-stakes legal battle with Sankwasa over his directive barring all municipalities in the country from hiring the company for debt collection services or renewing existing contracts with it.
RedForce argues that Sankwasa’s directive, issued on 4 August 2025, is retaliatory in nature - allegedly a vendetta after the firm pursued debt owed by him personally and by entities linked to him.
Court documents reveal that RedForce was handling multiple accounts associated with the minister, including municipal arrears in Katima Mulilo and two secured loans at Agribank. While some debts were settled, RedForce claims others were left outstanding and later turned over for collection.
The directive bans municipalities from renewing or entering into new contracts with RedForce, a move the company contends is unconstitutional, unlawful, and damaging to its right to trade and to fair administrative action.
Sankwasa, for his part, defended the move as necessary, accusing RedForce of “political sabotage” and suggesting the firm was not fully Namibian because one of its owners, Nangombe, is married to a Zimbabwean citizen.
Several municipalities have resisted compliance with Sankwasa’s directive.
Her husband, Julius Nyamazana, is the second applicant in the matter that emanates from a televised interview that Sankwasa conducted in August.
In court papers filed at the Windhoek High Court, Nangombe and Nyamazana claim that Sankwasa’s comments on The Evening Review programme - aired on 13 August - suggested their marriage was a sham and that their company was not genuinely Namibian-owned.
During the interview, the minister remarked that “foreign nationals... sometimes rent a wife and form a company, qualify for citizenship... They sometimes use their women to get where they want to get to,” adding that while some entities may be Namibian-registered, “they do not necessarily benefit Namibia.”
The couple allege that these comments directly referred to them and their business, following a directive Sankwasa issued two days earlier instructing all local authorities not to enter or renew contracts with RedForce. The company, which handles municipal debt recovery across the country, has faced public scrutiny over its collection practices.
According to the couple, Sankwasa’s statements implied that their marriage was fraudulent and motivated by citizenship and business benefits, portraying them as “corrupt individuals without moral fibre.” They argue that the remarks were “false, unlawful and intended to injure their good name, reputation and human dignity.”
The lawsuit, filed by Ileni Gebhardt & Co Inc., demands that Sankwasa retract his statements and issue a public apology within five days of a court order. The plaintiffs also seek payment of N$200 000 in damages plus interest and costs.
Nangombe and Nyamazana said the remarks caused them “psychological trauma, distress, stigma, shame, disgrace and dishonour,” in violation of their constitutional rights to dignity and family life.
Another separate lawsuit
In a separate lawsuit filed this week, RedForce is also embroiled in a high-stakes legal battle with Sankwasa over his directive barring all municipalities in the country from hiring the company for debt collection services or renewing existing contracts with it.
RedForce argues that Sankwasa’s directive, issued on 4 August 2025, is retaliatory in nature - allegedly a vendetta after the firm pursued debt owed by him personally and by entities linked to him.
Court documents reveal that RedForce was handling multiple accounts associated with the minister, including municipal arrears in Katima Mulilo and two secured loans at Agribank. While some debts were settled, RedForce claims others were left outstanding and later turned over for collection.
The directive bans municipalities from renewing or entering into new contracts with RedForce, a move the company contends is unconstitutional, unlawful, and damaging to its right to trade and to fair administrative action.
Sankwasa, for his part, defended the move as necessary, accusing RedForce of “political sabotage” and suggesting the firm was not fully Namibian because one of its owners, Nangombe, is married to a Zimbabwean citizen.
Several municipalities have resisted compliance with Sankwasa’s directive.
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