By Staff Reporter
The defamation dispute involving Namibia’s High Commissioner to Ghana Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata and Fillemon Shikwambi is set to return to the High Court of Namibia, with the parties directed to attend an interlocutory hearing recently.
According to the latest court notice, the matter has been set down before judge Beatrix De Jager directing the parties or their legal practitioners to attend an interlocutory hearing.
The hearing forms part of the ongoing civil case between Nghituwamata and Shikwambi and the the latest development adds a new procedural chapter to the dispute, which stems from an alleged audio recording that Nghituwamata claims was widely circulated on WhatsApp in September 2025.
Nghituwamata alleged that Shikwambi authored and featured in the recording and made statements suggesting that her appointment at the time, as executive director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform was the result of nepotism and political influence.
It is recorded that the audio recording was originally made in Oshiwambo and the translated transcript, the speaker allegedly identifies Nghituwamata by name and refers to her position as executive director in the agriculture ministry.
Nghituwamata maintains that the statements carried broader defamatory meanings, including suggestions that she was corrupt, dishonest, lacked integrity and ethics, and was unqualified, incompetent or undeserving of her position.
She further claims that the recording contained insinuations about her father, which she says suggested that he was a puppet of the South African apartheid colonial regime.
Nghituwamata further rejects the allegations, stating in her particulars of claim that she was duly qualified for the position and appointed strictly on the merits of her candidacy.
She also states that her father had proven liberation struggle credentials.
She is seeking N$250,000 in damages, arguing that the publication and circulation of the statements gravely injured her reputation and dignity and lowered her standing among members of the Namibian community and others who became aware of the allegations.
In addition to the damages, Nghituwamata is seeking an order compelling Shikwambi to unconditionally retract the allegations and apologise to her.
She is also seeking interest at 20 percent per annum from the date of judgment until final payment, together with the costs of the suit.
The latest hearing notice does not set out the substantive arguments to be considered at the interlocutory hearing, but confirms that the parties were directed to appear before the court.
