Namfi confirms NQA accreditation gap
The Namibian Maritime and Fisheries Institute (Namfi) has confirmed that it operated for several years without full accreditation from the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) – a period during which it continued training seafarers and issuing certificates.
This now forms part of a labour dispute in the High Court.
Acting director Meriam Mwiya said Namfi’s accreditation lapsed between 2014 and 2021 because its qualifications were not yet aligned with the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
“Namfi’s qualifications at the time were not written in such a way that they could be registered on the NQF,” she said. “For an institution to be accredited by NQA, it must have registered qualifications. If you don’t, you can’t be accredited.”
Mwiya said Namfi applied for re-accreditation in 2013, received a one-year extension to 2014, and was then denied renewal until its courses were rewritten and approved. The institute reapplied in 2018 and underwent an audit delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic until 2021. It was re-accredited for 2021–2024 and again in 2024 through to 2028.
Legitimate DMA accreditation
Despite the gap, Mwiya insisted Namfi “never misrepresented” its accreditation status.
“We have never printed or displayed any fake certificate. When accreditation expired, the certificate came down,” she said. “Anyone could see that on the wall.”
She added that Namfi’s core maritime training remained legitimate through the Directorate of Maritime Affairs (DMA), which issues all Certificates of Competency (COCs) to seafarers.
“We are accredited by DMA. If we were not accredited by DMA, then you could question us,” Mwiya said. “NQA is just a bonus. DMA represents the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in Namibia.”
DMA spokesperson Julius Ngweda confirmed that Namfi “has been accredited by the DMA since 2005” and that “no accreditation was revoked.” He said Namfi’s courses comply with the IMO Convention and Namibian maritime training regulations.
“If a training institution is not accredited by DMA, no certificate of competency will be issued by DMA,” he said.
Accusations
The period of non-accreditation, however, remains in dispute. Former instructor Immanuel Peke Thobias, who worked at Namfi from 2014 until his retrenchment in 2025, argues that the break invalidates qualifications issued during that time, describing it as “a breach of certification compliance” under the NQA Act.
Thobias has filed two legal challenges – one at the Labour Court and another at the High Court in Windhoek – alleging unfair retrenchment and institutional non-compliance.
Mwiya said Thobias was retrenched because his Level 3 qualification did not meet the Level 5 requirement of Namfi’s current programmes.
“He was the only instructor in air conditioning and refrigeration, and that programme was discontinued,” she said. “He was not qualified to teach at the new level.”
She also rejected claims that Namfi’s certification was invalid during the lapse.
“You can interview anyone in the fishing industry. Many of them studied here before 2008 and hold respected positions. I am a product of Namfi myself,” she said. “We are accredited until 2028. Our qualifications are on the framework, and our students can be confident their training meets national and international standards.”
Assessed
A document issued by the NQA on 17 September 2025 confirms the completion of an independent audit at Namfi following Thobias’s complaint. The on-site audit, conducted on 2 and 3 September, found that Namfi was initially accredited in July 2008 and last re-accredited on 28 November 2024.
The 2024 re-accreditation was granted conditionally, with Namfi assessed against 13 criteria – of which 10 were fully met, two partially met, and one remained outstanding. The NQA concluded that Namfi was “generally compliant” with accreditation requirements but remains under monitoring until all conditions are met.
The audit followed Thobias’s claims of political favouritism in the accreditation process. The NQA said the findings will form part of a broader review into how maritime training institutions are monitored under Namibia’s national qualifications system.
Thobias rejected both Namfi’s and the NQA’s explanations, saying they fail to address what he calls a fundamental contradiction between accreditation requirements and his experience as a trainer.
“I was dismissed for refusing to train students in a field I am not qualified in, then reinstated and again instructed to teach the same course,” he said. “That is not compliance with NQA standards – that is the opposite of it.”
He maintains that Namfi continued operating and receiving accreditation while assigning him to teach outside his qualification, which he says shows “a conflict of interest” between the institution and accreditation bodies.
The High Court is expected to deliver a ruling later in November.
This now forms part of a labour dispute in the High Court.
Acting director Meriam Mwiya said Namfi’s accreditation lapsed between 2014 and 2021 because its qualifications were not yet aligned with the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
“Namfi’s qualifications at the time were not written in such a way that they could be registered on the NQF,” she said. “For an institution to be accredited by NQA, it must have registered qualifications. If you don’t, you can’t be accredited.”
Mwiya said Namfi applied for re-accreditation in 2013, received a one-year extension to 2014, and was then denied renewal until its courses were rewritten and approved. The institute reapplied in 2018 and underwent an audit delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic until 2021. It was re-accredited for 2021–2024 and again in 2024 through to 2028.
Legitimate DMA accreditation
Despite the gap, Mwiya insisted Namfi “never misrepresented” its accreditation status.
“We have never printed or displayed any fake certificate. When accreditation expired, the certificate came down,” she said. “Anyone could see that on the wall.”
She added that Namfi’s core maritime training remained legitimate through the Directorate of Maritime Affairs (DMA), which issues all Certificates of Competency (COCs) to seafarers.
“We are accredited by DMA. If we were not accredited by DMA, then you could question us,” Mwiya said. “NQA is just a bonus. DMA represents the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in Namibia.”
DMA spokesperson Julius Ngweda confirmed that Namfi “has been accredited by the DMA since 2005” and that “no accreditation was revoked.” He said Namfi’s courses comply with the IMO Convention and Namibian maritime training regulations.
“If a training institution is not accredited by DMA, no certificate of competency will be issued by DMA,” he said.
Accusations
The period of non-accreditation, however, remains in dispute. Former instructor Immanuel Peke Thobias, who worked at Namfi from 2014 until his retrenchment in 2025, argues that the break invalidates qualifications issued during that time, describing it as “a breach of certification compliance” under the NQA Act.
Thobias has filed two legal challenges – one at the Labour Court and another at the High Court in Windhoek – alleging unfair retrenchment and institutional non-compliance.
Mwiya said Thobias was retrenched because his Level 3 qualification did not meet the Level 5 requirement of Namfi’s current programmes.
“He was the only instructor in air conditioning and refrigeration, and that programme was discontinued,” she said. “He was not qualified to teach at the new level.”
She also rejected claims that Namfi’s certification was invalid during the lapse.
“You can interview anyone in the fishing industry. Many of them studied here before 2008 and hold respected positions. I am a product of Namfi myself,” she said. “We are accredited until 2028. Our qualifications are on the framework, and our students can be confident their training meets national and international standards.”
Assessed
A document issued by the NQA on 17 September 2025 confirms the completion of an independent audit at Namfi following Thobias’s complaint. The on-site audit, conducted on 2 and 3 September, found that Namfi was initially accredited in July 2008 and last re-accredited on 28 November 2024.
The 2024 re-accreditation was granted conditionally, with Namfi assessed against 13 criteria – of which 10 were fully met, two partially met, and one remained outstanding. The NQA concluded that Namfi was “generally compliant” with accreditation requirements but remains under monitoring until all conditions are met.
The audit followed Thobias’s claims of political favouritism in the accreditation process. The NQA said the findings will form part of a broader review into how maritime training institutions are monitored under Namibia’s national qualifications system.
Thobias rejected both Namfi’s and the NQA’s explanations, saying they fail to address what he calls a fundamental contradiction between accreditation requirements and his experience as a trainer.
“I was dismissed for refusing to train students in a field I am not qualified in, then reinstated and again instructed to teach the same course,” he said. “That is not compliance with NQA standards – that is the opposite of it.”
He maintains that Namfi continued operating and receiving accreditation while assigning him to teach outside his qualification, which he says shows “a conflict of interest” between the institution and accreditation bodies.
The High Court is expected to deliver a ruling later in November.
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