A former Namibian minister has denied allegations that N$220,000 (approximately US$12,000) discovered during his arrest was intended as a bribe, insisting the funds were allocated for farm operations. Mac Hengari, who previously served as minister of agriculture, fisheries, water, and land reform, made the claims during a bail hearing at Windhoek Magistrate’s Court, where he faces charges linked to an alleged attempt to obstruct a rape case against him.
Prosecutors assert that Hengari and an unnamed co-accused – a relative of the complainant – offered the money on April 26 to persuade the woman to withdraw her rape accusation. The former minister countered that the cash, withdrawn a day earlier, was meant for expenses at Frankenhof #4, a 7,000-hectare farm valued at N$20 million (US$1.1 million) located between Okahandja and Windhoek. “You have things to buy for the farm and farmworkers to be paid,” Hengari testified, referencing the timing of the withdrawal on April 25.
The case has taken multiple contentious turns, with Hengari alleging the rape complainant and police conspired to entrap him. He claimed he was lured to a Windhoek restaurant under false pretenses of resolving the dispute, only to be arrested by investigator Vaino Werner. The former minister also denied being in Namibia during the alleged 2019 assault, stating he was in the United Kingdom completing his doctoral thesis at the time.
Charges against Hengari and his co-accused include gratification, incitement to compound a crime, and obstructing justice. The prosecution alleges the N$220,200 figure represents a bribe, while Hengari maintains the amount in question was N$200 – given to the complainant for transport to a meeting – and unrelated to farm funds. He further accused the woman of attempting to extort N$10,000 and demanding he “make the docket disappear.”
During proceedings, Hengari emphasized his local business ties – including a N$1.6 million investment in Sancom Investment and roles in multiple enterprises – as evidence he posed no flight risk. “I’m turning 60 in October and have no intention of absconding,” he stated. Defense lawyer Mekumbu Tjiteere is contesting the charges, while the co-accused’s newly appointed attorney, Nafimane Halweendo, will review whether his client’s account aligns with Hengari’s testimony.
Magistrate Monica Andjaba postponed the case to June 21 for further review, leaving unresolved questions about the disputed financial transactions and the credibility of competing narratives in a case intertwining allegations of sexual violence, corruption, and legal maneuvering.
