Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.
September 2026
The Namibian
Acting Supreme Court judge Dave Smutswarned thatNamibia's Justice Training Centre is failing to prepare graduates for practical court work
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“Acting Supreme Court judge Dave Smuts and legal stakeholders have warned that Namibia's Justice Training Centre (JIC) is failing to prepare graduates for practical court work.”
Acting judge of appeal Dave Smutsrefuseda petition to appeal against convictions and sentence
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“In an order issued by the Supreme Court last week, deputy chief justice Petrus Damaseb and acting judges of appeal Dave Smuts and Theo Frank refused a petition in which the driver Jandré Dippenaar asked the court to allow him to appeal against his convictions and sentence.”
Dave Smutsdismissedthe appeal and application to introduce further evidence
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“Acting judges of appeal Dave Smuts, Theo Frank and Shafimana Ueitele dismissed both the appeal and the application to introduce further evidence in the Supreme Court on Thursday.”
Acting judge of appeal Dave Smutsrecountedthat Namfisa was negligent in oversight by not requiring annual financial statements and failing to withdraw PAM's registration
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“Acting judge of appeal Dave Smuts recounted that Namfisa was found to have been negligent in its oversight of PAM by not requiring the company to produce its annual financial statements for the year ending 28 February 2005 by the end of May 2005, and thereafter by failing to withdraw PAM's registration as an asset manager, which would have occurred by the end of August 2005.”
Acting Supreme Court Judge of Appeal Dave Smutsupheld the appeal againstthe High Court's judgment in favour of Namfisa
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“Acting Supreme Court Judge of Appeal Dave Smuts and Appeal Judge Hosea Angula upheld the appeal against a judgment delivered by the High Court, which had initially ruled in favour of Namfisa.”
Judge Dave Smutsraised questions concerningthe efficacy of regulation and supervision of SME Bank by the Bank of Namibia
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“"Quite how this systematic looting of a registered bank was able to proceed over such a sustained period raises questions concerning the efficacy of the regulation and supervision of SME Bank by [the Bank of Namibia]," judge Dave Smuts said.”
Acting Supreme Court judge Dave Smuts clarified that he did not contend Namibia produces incompetent lawyers, but rather that the Justice Training Centre needs reform to improve practical legal training for new entrants to the profession. He commended Unam's law faculty for its role in transforming the legal profession while noting that recent bench experience showed new entrants lack requisite skills.
Acting Supreme Court judge Dave Smuts clarified that he did not contend Namibia produces incompetent lawyers, but rather that the Justice Training Centre needs reform to improve practical legal training for new entrants to the profession. He commended Unam's law faculty for its role in transforming the legal profession while noting that recent bench experience showed new entrants lack requisite skills.
Acting Supreme Court judge Dave Smuts and legal stakeholders have warned that Namibia's Justice Training Centre is failing to prepare graduates for practical court work, with some lawyers who completed the programme not properly trained for legal practice. Smuts called for a revamped training system that equips graduates with the practical and procedural skills needed to practise law.
The Supreme Court refused a petition to hear an appeal by driver Jandré Dippenaar against his murder convictions and 15-year prison sentence for a fatal collision near Henties Bay in December 2014 that killed six people. The conviction was Namibia's first murder prosecution for a road accident rather than culpable homicide.
The Bank of Namibia won a Supreme Court appeal upholding its decision to forfeit more than N$40 million in a Nedbank Namibia account belonging to retired Democratic Republic of Congo general François Olenga to the state, reversing a High Court decision from June last year that had set aside the forfeiture.
Zimbabwe's High Court has recognised the liquidation of Namibia's Small and Medium Enterprises Bank and granted liquidators Ian McLaren and Dave Bruni authority to recover the bank's assets in Zimbabwe. The court dismissed objections from Metropolitan Bank of Zimbabwe, a minority shareholder, and ruled that the legal requirements for recognising the Namibian insolvency proceedings had been met.
Red Soil Energy and Mineral Exploration lost its Supreme Court challenge against the mines and energy minister's refusal of a petroleum exploration licence for offshore blocks in southern Namibia. The company had argued it was treated unfairly and that blocks were reserved for politically connected individuals, but the court upheld the minister's decision based on the company's failure to demonstrate required technical and financial capacity.
The Supreme Court has ordered Namfisa to pay N$35.1 million to the liquidator of insolvent company Prowealth Asset Management, to be distributed to investors who lost money entrusted to the company about two decades ago. The order follows a November finding that Namfisa was liable for losses suffered by approximately 87 investors due to insufficient regulatory oversight from August 2005 until the company collapsed in December 2008.
The Supreme Court has ordered the Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (Namfisa) to pay N$35 million to the liquidator of Prowealth Asset Management, which collapsed after its director stole about N$75 million from more than 70 investors. The ruling follows a November 2025 finding that Namfisa could be held liable for breaching its duty of care in failing to properly supervise the fraudulent asset manager.
The Supreme Court of Namibia ruled that the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia did not meet the legal standard to claim "wasted costs" in a dispute linked to the veterinary cordon fence. The court found that the Board's claim that changes to court papers caused it to incur unnecessary legal costs did not meet the threshold for wasted costs.
Red Soil Energy has appealed to the Supreme Court over the mines ministry's 2021 rejection of its petroleum exploration licence application for four offshore oil blocks. The company claims it was treated unfairly and differently from competing applicants, while the minister argues the application was incomplete and lacked required financial documentation.