Namibia Minute.
Friday, 24 April 2026
A daily Namibian brief · Est. 2026
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Person

Panduleni Itula

Also known as: Itula · Panduleni · Pandulenti Itula · IPC leader · Dr Panduleni Itula · Shapwa Panduleni

Panduleni Itula — Independent Patriots for Change president, critiques government on tertiary education, budget spending, oil sector governance, and proposed petroleum legislation.

Politics

Opposition leader alleges presidential family controls petroleum value chain

The News

Panduleni Itula, leader of the Independent Patriots for Change, presented evidence he says shows the president's family members hold interests across the oil and gas sector—including the president's son operating a diesel distribution business at Lüderitz port and the first gentleman serving as patron of a petroleum industry forum—and called on Parliament to reject a petroleum amendment bill that would transfer licensing authority to the Presidency.

2 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Monday 2 March

  1. Opposition leader alleges presidential family controls petroleum value chain

    Panduleni Itula, leader of the Independent Patriots for Change, presented evidence he says shows the president's family members hold interests across the oil and gas sector—including the president's son operating a diesel distribution business at Lüderitz port and the first gentleman serving as patron of a petroleum industry forum—and called on Parliament to reject a petroleum amendment bill that would transfer licensing authority to the Presidency.

    2 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Sunday 1 March

  1. Minister warned Namport against sidelining president's son's company

    Transport minister Veikko Nekundi reportedly warned Namport bosses at a January meeting not to take business from Tradeport Namibia, co-owned by President Nandi-Ndaitwah's son Nande Ndaitwah, which Namport said stood to lose about N$20 million in annual income if it brought in a competing South African operator. Nekundi denies favouring the president's son, saying his duty is to protect local companies over foreign ones.

    1 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 27 February

  1. Namport rejects IPC claims about First Family oil involvement

    Namibia Ports Authority CEO Andrew Kanime has dismissed allegations by IPC leader Panduleni Itula that President Nandi-Ndaitwah's sons are involved in the oil and gas sector. Kanime confirmed Namport's business relationship with Tradeport Namibia (operated by the President's son Nande) involves only manganese exports from South Africa, not oil and gas activities.

    27 February 2026 · Informanté →

Thursday 26 February

  1. President's sons deny oil industry involvement, reject Itula claims

    President Nandi-Ndaitwah's two sons have rejected opposition leader Panduleni Itula's allegations that they are involved in Namibia's oil sector through their private businesses. The brothers, who operate a farming business and a logistics company respectively, issued a detailed rebuttal denying any interest in oil and characterizing Itula's claims as lies intended to discredit the first family.

    26 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 25 February

  1. President challenges Itula to prove oil sector family links

    President Nandi-Ndaitwah has challenged Independent Patriots for Change leader Panduleni Itula to provide empirical evidence linking her family to Namibia's upstream oil sector, reiterating her denial of direct or indirect interests. Itula held his third oil-related press conference in less than three weeks, presenting what he termed documented evidence of a systematic network involving the president's sons and husband across the petroleum value chain, including fuel imports, distribution, and investments.

    25 February 2026 · New Era →

  2. President denies oil involvement, challenges Itula for proof

    The Presidency has denied allegations by Independent Patriots for Change president Panduleni Itula that President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and her sons are involved in the oil and gas sector, and has called on Itula to provide credible and verifiable evidence to support his claims.

    25 February 2026 · The Namibian →

  3. President demands IPC leader prove petroleum industry claims

    President Nandi-Ndaitwah has called on IPC leader Dr Panduleni Itula to provide credible and verifiable evidence for allegations that her son holds stakes in Namibia's petroleum industry. The Presidency dismissed the claims and clarified that the Petroleum Amendment Bill before Parliament applies strictly to upstream petroleum activities.

    25 February 2026 · Informanté →

Tuesday 24 February

  1. Itula claims president misled nation on family's oil ties

    IPC president Panduleni Itula accused President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of misleading the public about her family's involvement in the oil industry, citing the president's son's alleged role at Tradeport Namibia, a company engaged in fuel imports and wholesale distribution. Nandi-Ndaitwah has denied her family has direct or indirect interests in the oil and gas sector.

    24 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Sunday 22 February

  1. IPC's Itula vows to challenge what he calls authoritarianism

    Independent Patriots for Change president Panduleni Itula has pledged to oppose bills that would give the president and Cabinet greater control of state resources, arguing they represent authoritarian systems that undermine the Constitution and rule of law.

    22 February 2026 · The Namibian →

  2. President seeks oil licensing control via Petroleum Act amendment

    President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is proposing to shift upstream oil licensing powers from the minister to the presidency, a move she argues is justified given her removal of a minister over corruption. However, according to an opinion piece by professor Roman Grynberg, the proposed legislation lacks transparency provisions and parliamentary oversight, and extends civil immunity to presidential appointees in ways that could facilitate future corruption similar to the Fishrot scandal.

    22 February 2026 · The Namibian →

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