Namibia Minute.
Monday, 8 June 2026
Namibia’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Monday, 8 June 2026
Windhoek—:—London—:—New York—:—Beijing—:—
Namibian press · Person

Helvi Shikalepo

Also known as: Magistrate Helvi Shikalepo

Magistrate who denied bail for Joel Angula in the N$335.6 million Namdia diamond heist case involving a murder in January 2024.

2026-01-202026-06-08
Share on WhatsApp

What’s been said

Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.

  1. May 2026

  2. Informanté

    Magistrate Helvi Shikalepo denied bail to Joel Angula in late February 2026

    Source

    “Angula, who was denied bail by Magistrate Helvi Shikalepo, is facing eight counts, including a charge of murder, in connection with an armed robbery in which diamonds valued at N$335.6 million were allegedly stolen at the NAMDIA head office in Windhoek.”

    Angula launches appeal against bail denial
  3. April 2026

  4. The Namibian

    Magistrate Helvi Shikalepo ordered Atshipara be held in custody

    Source

    “Magistrate Helvi Shikalepo ordered that Atshipara should be held in custody after public prosecutor Edel Upindi informed the court that the state is opposed to her being granted bail, due to the seriousness of the charges against her.”

    Former bank worker charged in N$4m fraud

  5. The Namibian

    Magistrate Helvi Shikalepo ordered that Atshipara be held in custody

    Source

    “Magistrate Helvi Shikalepo ordered that Atshipara should be held in custody after public prosecutor Edel Upindi informed the court that due to the seriousness of the charges against Atshipara, the state is opposed to her being granted bail.”

    Former Standard Bank employee charged with fraud involving N$4 million
  6. March 2026

  7. The Namibian

    Magistrate Helvi Shikalepo dismissed Booys' sixth bail request

    Source

    “magistrate Helvi Shikalepo said when she dismissed Booys' sixth request to be released on bail.”

    Ex-MP Booys’ sixth bail attempt fails

  8. The Namibian

    Magistrate Helvi Shikalepo postponed delivery of ruling on Booys' bail application to 24 March

    Source

    “Shikalepo postponed the delivery of her ruling on Booys' bail application to 24 March.”

    Former National Council member Steve Biko Booys makes sixth bail attempt in Okahandja rape trial
  9. February 2026

  10. The Namibian

    Magistrate Helvi Shikalepo testified that Johannes Shetunyenga said he wanted to talk about what landed him here

    Source

    “Shikalepo testified on Tuesday that after she had explained his right to legal representation and to apply for legal aid to Shetunyenga, he said: "I want to talk about what landed me here."”

    Magistrates say Avis Dam murder confessions made voluntarily

  11. The Namibian

    Magistrate Helvi Shikalepo refused Angula's application for bail

    Source

    “This was indicated by magistrate Helvi Shikalepo in a ruling in which she refused an application by Angula (46) to be granted bail yesterday.”

    Former Namdia guard denied bail in N$335m diamond heist and murder case

  12. The Namibian

    Magistrate Helvi Shikalepo set 23 February for bail ruling date

    Source

    “Angula (46) received the date for the bail ruling from magistrate Helvi Shikalepo after defence lawyer Veiko Alexander and deputy prosecutor general, Johannes Kalipi, delivered their closing arguments on his application to be granted bail in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court on Friday.”

    Namdia robbery accused to hear bail ruling in two weeks
  13. January 2026

  14. New Era

    Magistrate Helvi Shikalepo postponed the matter to 27 January for continuation of bail hearing

    Source

    “Magistrate Helvi Shikalepo postponed the matter to 27 January for continuation of the bail hearing in Windhoek Magistrate's Court.”

    Namdia murder accused ‘will interfere with investigations’
Society

Former NAMDIA officer appeals bail denial in diamond theft case

The News

Joel Angula, a former protection officer at state-owned NAMDIA, has appealed his bail denial in the High Court, arguing through his lawyer that the State has not established a chain of custody for diamonds found at his residence and that the magistrate ignored legal provisions for a fine. Angula faces eight counts, including murder, in connection with an armed robbery at NAMDIA where diamonds valued at N$335.6 million were allegedly stolen; 13 parcels valued at about N$4.8 million were found at his home, while over N$290 million of the stolen diamonds remain unrecovered.

Why it matters

Former NAMDIA officer appeals bail denial in N$335 million diamond heist, tracking high-stakes accountability in state resource theft.

20 May 2026 · Informanté →

Wednesday 20 May

  1. Former NAMDIA officer appeals bail denial in diamond theft case

    Joel Angula, a former protection officer at state-owned NAMDIA, has appealed his bail denial in the High Court, arguing through his lawyer that the State has not established a chain of custody for diamonds found at his residence and that the magistrate ignored legal provisions for a fine. Angula faces eight counts, including murder, in connection with an armed robbery at NAMDIA where diamonds valued at N$335.6 million were allegedly stolen; 13 parcels valued at about N$4.8 million were found at his home, while over N$290 million of the stolen diamonds remain unrecovered.

    20 May 2026 · Informanté →

Thursday 9 April

  1. Former bank employee held over N$4 million fraud

    A former Standard Bank Namibia employee has been arrested and charged with 12 counts of fraud for allegedly transferring N$4 million from clients' accounts to her own between April and August 2024. She is being held in custody pending further investigations and a court appearance on 18 May.

    9 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 2 April

  1. Former Standard Bank employee charged with fraud case

    A former Standard Bank Namibia employee has been charged with 12 counts of fraud after allegedly withdrawing N$4 million from client accounts between April and August 2024. The Windhoek Magistrate's Court denied bail and postponed the case to 18 May for further investigations.

    2 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 25 March

  1. Ex-MP Booys' sixth bail application rejected by court

    Former member of parliament Steve Biko Booys has had his sixth bail request dismissed in the Windhoek Regional Court while facing rape charges. The magistrate ruled that the new facts presented were either not genuinely new or did not overcome previous grounds for detention, noting that Booys' trial delays stemmed partly from his own actions including changing defence lawyers and requesting the magistrate's recusal.

    25 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 18 March

  1. Former councillor Booys makes sixth bail attempt in rape trial

    Steve Biko Booys, a former National Council member, has filed a sixth bail application in connection with rape charges stemming from an alleged incident at his Okahandja home in January 2021. He has been in custody for five years; the prosecution argues there are no new facts in the application and cites DNA evidence and text message records as incriminating evidence, while the defence contends the state's case is weak.

    18 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 27 February

  1. Magistrates testify Avis Dam murder confessions were voluntary

    Two magistrates testified in the Windhoek High Court that two men accused of robbing and murdering a resident at Avis Dam in July 2020 voluntarily made confessions after their arrests, with neither man reporting threats or coercion when statements were recorded in November 2020.

    27 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 24 February

  1. Former Namdia guard denied bail in N$335m diamond heist case

    Magistrate Helvi Shikalepo refused bail for Joel Angula, a former Namdia security officer arrested in connection with a January 2024 armed robbery at the company's Windhoek headquarters in which diamonds valued at N$335.6 million were stolen and a security officer was killed. Shikalepo ruled that although the state has a prima facie case against Angula, his continued detention is in the interest of justice pending trial.

    24 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Saturday 7 February

  1. Namdia robbery accused awaits bail ruling in February

    Joel Angula, a former Namdia security officer charged with murder and robbery in connection with a January 2024 heist at the Namdia head office in Windhoek in which a security officer was killed, will learn on 23 February whether he will be released on bail. The state opposes bail, arguing he may abscond or interfere with witnesses, while his defence counsel argues the state's case is weak.

    7 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 22 January

  1. Police say Namdia murder accused will interfere with witnesses

    During a bail hearing, a Namibian Police chief inspector testified that Joel Angula would likely interfere with witnesses and investigations if released, citing his prior misleading statements and knowledge of witnesses. The inspector also stated that 452 of 512 diamonds robbed from Namdia remain missing and could be disposed of or used for further crimes if the accused is freed.

    22 January 2026 · New Era →

Tuesday 20 January

  1. Court hears Endjala's pistol killed Namdia guard in diamond heist

    Police ballistics evidence presented in Windhoek court shows that a 9mm pistol registered to Max Endjala, one of the alleged robbers who later shot himself, was used to kill Namdia security officer Francis Eiseb during an armed robbery at the company's Windhoek premises in January 2024. Former police officer Joel Angula and Sam Shololo are charged with murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and other counts related to the heist in which diamonds valued at about N$335.6 million were stolen.

    20 January 2026 · The Namibian →

Helvi Shikalepo — Namibian press coverage · Namibia Minute