Namibian President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah faced sharp criticism after security personnel escorted freelance journalist Jemima Beukes out of State House on Monday, February 2, 2026, during the official opening of the year’s first Cabinet meeting, according to the Namibian.
Beukes, founder and editor of the independent online outlet The Whistle Namibia, attempted to ask the president about public concerns regarding alleged family involvement in the country’s emerging oil and gas sector. According to The Namibian, the journalist approached Nandi-Ndaitwah during a brief photo opportunity following the president’s remarks, first requesting permission to pose a question. When declined, Beukes proceeded anyway, inquiring: “There are concerns that your family is moving into controlling the country’s oil industry.”
Security officials immediately intervened, physically escorting Beukes from the premises. She reported that a colleague’s phone used to record the encounter was confiscated, officers photographed her vehicle, and she received threats of arrest for persisting with the question despite the president’s refusal.
In a social media post detailing the incident, Beukes described feeling shaken by the experience, including being followed by a security vehicle as she left the area.
The episode has ignited widespread debate about media freedom in Namibia, a country long regarded as one of Africa’s more open democracies and the birthplace of the landmark Windhoek Declaration on press freedom in 1991. Media watchdogs and professional bodies condemned the handling of the situation.
Namibia Media Trust executive director Zoé Titus stated that the physical removal, equipment interference, and arrest threats exceeded acceptable security protocols and demanded accountability. She emphasized that true respect for press freedom requires officials and security to operate within constitutional bounds, warning that such actions erode democratic norms and place journalists under undue psychological strain.
The Namibia Media Professionals Union (NAMPU) labeled the incident an escalation in hostility toward transparency, with information officer Tuyeimo Haidula calling it “state-sponsored intimidation” and a sign of an administration increasingly averse to scrutiny.
Opposition Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) secretary general Manuel Ngaringombe demanded a public apology from the Presidency to Beukes and the nation, stressing that journalists must work without fear of reprisal. He cautioned against any drift toward authoritarian practices that undermine constitutional values.
The Presidency, through press secretary Jonas Mbambo, defended the action, explaining that formal question-and-answer sessions occur at designated times and through proper channels. Once the president indicates a session’s end or directs inquiries elsewhere, that guidance should be followed, the statement noted, while reaffirming commitment to media engagement.
The controversy stems from broader public speculation about potential conflicts of interest in Namibia’s oil and gas sector, which President Nandi-Ndaitwah placed directly under her executive authority shortly after taking office in March 2025. Recent discoveries of significant offshore oil reserves have positioned the industry as a potential economic game-changer, raising questions about governance, transparency, and equitable benefit distribution.
In response to the allegations, President Nandi-Ndaitwah categorically denied any family involvement, stating her children hold no direct or indirect interests in the sector. She called for a retraction and public apology from those spreading the claims or presentation of verifiable evidence, according to The Namibian.
International groups, including the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the International Press Institute (IPI), have echoed local concerns, describing the removal as an attempt to silence legitimate public-interest reporting and urging authorities to protect journalists’ rights.
As calls for investigation and accountability continue, the incident underscores ongoing tensions between executive authority and independent media in Namibia’s young democracy.
