Alleged ‘Swapo swindler’ seeks legal aid

Kenya KamboweRunduA court case involving Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) regional secretary for Kavango West, Bonifatius Muronga, has ground to a halt.Muronga, who stands accused of 16 counts of fraud, awaits a decision on whether he qualifies for a state-funded lawyer.According to court documents, he last appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court on 6 February and the matter was remanded to 12 June for feedback on his application for legal aid. He is currently out on bail of N$8 000.Muronga was arrested last July after he allegedly forged the signature of Swapo secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa and used President Hage Geingob’s name to swindle the mother of his child out of monies amounting to N$105 000 between 2019 and 2020.He allegedly used Swapo Party letterheads, stamps and Shaningwa’s signature to write fake letters to himself in order to defraud his then partner of her money.LettersIn one such letter, dated 1 October 2020 and bearing Shaningwa’s supposed signature and a party stamp, Muronga was allegedly asked to pay a N$40 000 deposit for a bakkie the party was allocating to him.In his quest to defraud more money from his girlfriend, Muronga allegedly concocted another undated letter inviting him to State House for a meeting with Geingob on 17 October 2020 to discuss his possible appointment as an ambassador or executive director.With no respect for the dead, Muronga reportedly faked another letter – in order to defraud his partner – which claimed that Geingob invited him to Windhoek to moderate the memorial service of late youth leader Mandela Kapere and that he was assured of a Rate 1 subsistence and travel (S&T) claim.He must claim the money through the Office of the Prime Minister, the letter stated, “because you are doing government work and not Swapo Party work”.Another letter, purported to be from the Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust, supposedly demanded that he pay N$5 600 within two days of it being written, or he would lose fishing quotas allocated to him.In another, supposedly from then fisheries minister Albert Kawana, it is indicated that Muronga had been appointed as a board member of the trust.Relationship endedHowever, last year, Muronga - just after he was released on bail - told Namibian Sun that his then girlfriend was motivated to open the case simply because she did not want to accept that their relationship had ended.While he acknowledged that she had given him money, he said he too used to give her money when she needed it.“It was never a loan that I got from her, it was just people in love who were giving each other money. Even if I take my bank statement, what I gave her is even more than what she gave me. This is just a relationship that failed,” he said.“I maintain that I am very much innocent of those allegations. That’s what I am waiting for the court to determine.”When asked about forged letters bearing his name, Muronga said he has no idea where they come from.kenya@namibiansun.com

Alleged ‘Swapo swindler’ seeks legal aid

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-07

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Alleged ‘Swapo swindler’ seeks legal aid

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-07

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