Tuesday, 6 October 2026

Namibia’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026

Tuesday, 6 October 2026

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Namibian press · Person

Naomi Shivute

Also known as: Judge Naomi Shivute

Judge in Windhoek High Court hearing high-profile criminal cases including rape, murder, and fraud charges.

2023-07-192026-10-06

What’s been said

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

June 2024
17 JunThe Namibian
Judge Naomi Shivute agreed with Christiaan's appeal judgement
Source
“Judge Naomi Shivute agreed with her judgement.”
Cocaine smuggler fails with appeal against sentence
12 JunThe Namibian
Judge Naomi Shivute dismissed Khatri's appeal against conviction and 20-year sentence
Source
“In an appeal judgement delivered in the Windhoek High Court on Friday, judge Naomi Shivute said the complainant in the trial of Pakistani national Farhan Khatri was still immature when she had sexual encounters with him and it was easy for her to be manipulated by him and two women who stood trial with him.”
Car dealer fails with rape appeal
July 2023
19 JulThe Namibian
Judge Naomi Shivute found Johannes Tobias guilty of murder
Source
“Judge Naomi Shivute found Johannes Tobias (50) guilty on a count of murder, read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, after recording that Tobias admitted he had killed his girlfriend, Miriam Block (28), at Rehoboth on 1 July 2021.”
Man guilty of murdering girlfriend at Rehoboth

Society

Two Noordoewer men convicted of child rape and trafficking

The News

A Windhoek High Court judge found two ||Kharas region residents guilty of multiple sexual crimes against a girl between October 2020 and January 2021, when she was 11 years old. One man was convicted of one count of rape, two counts of committing indecent or immoral acts with a minor, and three counts of trafficking in a person; the other was convicted of two rape counts and one trafficking charge.

6 hours ago · The Namibian →

Yesterday

Two Noordoewer men convicted of child rape and trafficking
A Windhoek High Court judge found two ||Kharas region residents guilty of multiple sexual crimes against a girl between October 2020 and January 2021, when she was 11 years old. One man was convicted of one count of rape, two counts of committing indecent or immoral acts with a minor, and three counts of trafficking in a person; the other was convicted of two rape counts and one trafficking charge.
6 hours ago · The Namibian →

Tuesday 29 September

Ex-magistrate Jaco Kennedy's bail bid denied again
Former magistrate Jaco Kennedy, held in custody on rape and kidnapping charges for more than 10 years, has failed in his fourth bail application. Judge Naomi Shivute dismissed his application in the Windhoek High Court on Friday, which was based on alleged new facts since his previous bail denial in September 2023.
29 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Former magistrate's fourth bail application dismissed by court
Former magistrate Jaco Kennedy, held in custody on rape and kidnapping charges since January 2016, has failed in his latest bail application before the Windhoek High Court. Kennedy and co-accused Raymond Cloete are being tried on the charges, which they have both denied.
29 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 28 September

Supreme Court upholds murder convictions in fatal road crash case
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.
28 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 21 September

Former Namdia guard Angula's bail appeal dismissed in heist case
The Windhoek High Court has dismissed a bail appeal by former Namdia protection officer Joel Angula, one of three men accused of a fatal robbery at the diamond company's head office in January 2023. Angula and his co-accused face ten charges including murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and theft of diamonds.
21 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Saturday 5 September

Murder accused claims police never explained constitutional rights
One of three men accused of robbing and murdering a Windhoek resident at Avis Dam in July 2020 claims police never informed him of his constitutional rights from arrest in November 2020 until now, though the detective who questioned him disputes this, testifying he did explain the right to silence, legal representation, and legal aid before the accused agreed to make a statement.
5 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 18 August

Defence lawyer claims weak case against Namdia robbery accused
A lawyer for Joel Angula, a former Namdia protection officer facing charges in connection with a fatal armed robbery at Namdia's Windhoek head office in January last year, argued in the High Court that the case against him is "very weak" during a bail appeal hearing. Angula and two co-accused are facing 10 charges including murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and theft of diamonds.
18 August 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 15 July

Former PSC chief awaits sentencing after court postpones fourth time
Salmaan Jacobs, former chairperson of the Public Service Commission, is expected to return to the Keetmanshoop Regional Court on 31 July for sentencing after the court postponed the matter for a fourth time, citing incomplete paperwork. Jacobs was convicted on a corruption charge last year after the state successfully appealed a 2014 not-guilty verdict.
15 July 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 30 June

Woman facing N$40 million fraud charge denied bail appeal
Windhoek High Court has dismissed a bail appeal by Marlien Conradie (37), who faces charges of fraud and money laundering involving N$40 million. Acting judge Marilize du Plessis upheld a magistrate's January decision to refuse bail, noting the substantial amount involved and Conradie's refusal to answer questions during the bail hearing.
30 June 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 29 June

Financial manager's N$41 million fraud bail appeal dismissed
Marlien Conradie, accused of stealing about N$41 million from her employer Western Investments Namibia by redirecting supplier payments to her own accounts between 2016 and 2025, has had her bail appeal rejected by the High Court. She was arrested on 7 November 2025 on fraud and POCA charges.
29 June 2026 · Informanté →

Wednesday 10 June

High Court child-rape trial verdict postponed to September
Two Noordoewer men, Dirk von Weidts (75) and Jors Arrie (49), accused of raping a girl aged 10–11 between October 2020 and January 2021, will receive the verdict in their Windhoek High Court trial on 14 September. Judge Naomi Shivute postponed delivery of judgement after hearing closing arguments.
10 June 2026 · The Namibian →

Saturday 6 June

High Court rejects Dippenaar bid to appeal murder conviction
Jandré Lodewyk Dippenaar, the first person in Namibia convicted of murder with direct intent from a car accident, has had his application to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court dismissed by the High Court. Dippenaar was sentenced in August 2024 to 15 years' imprisonment after being convicted on six counts of murder and other charges relating to a December 2014 car crash in Henties Bay that killed six people.
6 June 2026 · Informanté →

Tuesday 28 April

Man pleads not guilty to 14 charges including rape and trafficking
Johan Morkel, 42, denied guilt on 14 charges including seven counts of rape, three counts of child trafficking, attempted rape, and abduction at the Windhoek High Court. The state alleges he abducted a 15-year-old girl in December 2018 and raped her multiple times, raped a 9-year-old girl in May 2021, and attempted to rape an underage girl.
28 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 10 March

Dippenaar seeks Supreme Court review of murder conviction
Jandre Dippenaar, convicted of six counts of murder stemming from a 2014 car accident near Henties Bay that killed six people, has lodged an application to appeal to the Supreme Court after the High Court dismissed his earlier appeal in December. Dippenaar was the first in Namibia convicted of murder based on dolus eventualis rather than culpable homicide in a motor vehicle collision case; he argued the court wrongly prioritised eyewitness testimony over expert evidence, but judges ruled the trial court correctly drew inferences and imposed an appropriate sentence.
10 March 2026 · New Era →

Friday 27 February

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 →

Monday 23 February

Walvis Bay stepfather sentenced 30 years for murdering five-year-old
Riddick Narib was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for the brutal murder of his five-year-old stepson Dantali Eiseb in Walvis Bay in January 2023. Narib admitted to repeatedly striking the boy with a brick and cutting him with a knife, and told the court he committed the act to hurt the boy's mother, with whom he was in a failed marriage.
23 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 20 February

Walvis Bay man sentenced to 30 years for stepson's murder
A 33-year-old Walvis Bay resident was sentenced to 30 years' imprisonment by High Court Judge Naomi Shivute for the brutal assault and killing of his five-year-old stepson in January 2023. Judge Shivute said the accused, who suspected the boy's mother of infidelity, had no right to commit murder and noted his subsequent torment of the mother through text messages compounded the crime.
20 February 2026 · New Era →

Thursday 19 February

Man sentenced to 30 years for murdering five-year-old stepson
Ricddick /Narib, 32, was sentenced to 30 years in jail by High Court Judge Naomi Shivute for the murder of his five-year-old stepson, Dantali Wilfred Eiseb, in Walvis Bay on 6 January 2023. /Narib assaulted the child with a brick, buried the body in a shallow grave, and later sent a text to the victim's mother stating he had taken her son's life.
19 February 2026 · Informanté →
Walvis Bay man sentenced 30 years for child murder
Riddick Narib, 33, pleaded guilty to murdering his five-year-old stepson Dantali Eiseb on 6 January 2023 by striking him repeatedly in the face with a brick, and was sentenced to an effective 30-year prison term by Judge Naomi Shivute in the Windhoek High Court. Narib also received a five-year sentence for obstructing the course of justice, with three years to run concurrently.
19 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 17 February

High Court dismisses State's bail appeal for Willemse
A Windhoek High Court judge struck the State's application for leave to appeal against bail granted to former Namcor executive Cornelius Cedric Willemse, finding that the State had missed the deadline to file its heads of argument. The State, which had accused Willemse of facilitating fuel supply in breach of policy and receiving suspicious deposits, must now start the bail appeal process afresh.
17 February 2026 · New Era →
State must restart appeal against Namcor manager's bail
The Windhoek High Court struck the state's application for leave to appeal against bail granted to former Namcor manager Cedric Willemse off the court roll, ruling that the state must start afresh with a proper postponement application if it wishes to continue the appeal. Willemse, facing 10 charges including fraud and corruption, was granted N$200,000 bail by a magistrate who found his explanation for payments plausible.
17 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 16 February

High Court strikes State's challenge to Willemse bail
Judges Naomi Shivute and Dinah Usiku have struck an appeal by the State challenging bail granted to Cedric Willemse, former logistics and supply manager at Namcor, in the "Oilrot" case involving alleged fraud and irregular credit extensions at the state-owned petroleum corporation. The application was struck after the State Prosecutor failed to file substantive opposition within the required timeframe.
16 February 2026 · Informanté →

Thursday 5 February

Windhoek murder trial: accused allege police torture
Two men accused of robbing and murdering a Windhoek resident at Avis Dam in 2020 are disputing that they made confessions freely and voluntarily, alleging they were assaulted by police and instructed what to say. A judge has begun hearing testimony to determine the admissibility of evidence the prosecution wants to present.
5 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 4 February

Convicted stepdad claims relationship breakdown triggered child's killing
A man convicted of killing his five-year-old stepson testified during mitigation proceedings that personal struggles and a relationship breakdown with the boy's mother drove him to strike the child with a brick multiple times. He cited heartbreak over the mother's alleged infidelity as his motive, though he acknowledged during cross-examination that he could have resolved matters maturely and expressed remorse for taking the child's life.
4 February 2026 · New Era →

Thursday 29 January

Man convicted of murdering five-year-old stepson in Walvis Bay
Iuze Mukube Riddick Melchior (32) was found guilty of murdering his five-year-old stepson Dantali Wilfried by repeatedly hitting him with a brick and cutting him with a knife in January 2023, and of defeating the course of justice by burying the body. The Windhoek High Court conviction followed Melchior's guilty pleas after he admitted his actions were intentional and unlawful, though motivated by anger at the child's mother.
29 January 2026 · New Era →
Man convicted of murdering five-year-old stepson in Walvis Bay
Riddick Melchior /Narib has been found guilty of murdering five-year-old Dantali Wilfried Eiseb on 6 January 2023, after assaulting the child with a brick in the dunes of Narraville and burying him in a shallow grave. /Narib pleaded guilty to murder and to defeating the course of justice, and was convicted by High Court Judge Naomi Shivute.
29 January 2026 · Informanté →