Ohangwena: The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has arrested two public officials in the Ohangwena Region on allegations of corruption and abuse of public office in separate cases. The commission announced in a statement on Thursday that 52-year-old Chris Nghilundilua, a former senior administrative officer in the Directorate of Education, Arts and Culture at the Ohangwena Regional Council, and Hendrina Kambudu, 46, a community liaison officer at the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Child Welfare, were arrested on 19 January 2026.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Nghilundilua allegedly abused his position as head of hostel administration and the school feeding programme by irregularly awarding a tender in 2018 for the distribution of maize blend. The tender was allegedly awarded to a company owned by his nephew. Investigations further revealed that he was a signatory to the company's bank account and allegedly benefited directly from the arrangement. The ACC alleges that public funds were used to purchase building materials valued at about N.dollars 30,000, which were then used to construct rental flats in Helao Nafidi. Nghilundilua faces four charges, including contravention of the Procurement Act, the Anti-Corruption Act, and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.

In a separate matter, Kambudu is accused of fraudulently acquiring a hammer mill valued at N.dollars 31,500 through the Income Generating Activities programme during the 2007/2008 financial year. The ACC alleges that she applied for the equipment using her cousin's name and later used the hammer mill to operate a private milling business in the Epembe Constituency. The alleged irregularity only came to light in 2018 when the cousin reapplied for funding under the same programme. Kambudu faces one charge under the Anti-Corruption Act.

Both accused appeared before the Eenhana Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, with Nghilundilua being granted bail of N.dollars 20,000, while Kambudu was granted bail of N.dollars 10,000. The matters have been postponed to 09 March 2026 to allow the accused to secure legal representation and for the setting of trial dates.