Windhoek: The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has restarted the recruitment process for the appointment of Namibia's next Prosecutor General after none of the eight shortlisted candidates met the required standard in a written assessment, the Office of the Judiciary announced in a statement late Tuesday.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the position became vacant after the term of former Prosecutor General Martha Imalwa ended on 31 December 2025. To ensure continuity in the Office of the Prosecutor General, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, acting on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), appointed Imalwa as Acting Prosecutor General for one year, from 01 January to 31 December 2026.

Judiciary spokesperson Vikitoria Hango stated that the JSC adopted a two-stage selection process consisting of a written assessment followed by public interviews. Only candidates who met the required threshold in the written assessment would proceed to the interview stage.

Following the screening of applications, eight candidates were found to have satisfied the constitutional requirements for appointment, as well as the additional criteria set out in the vacancy advertisement. The candidates sat for the written assessment on 08 May 2026. The assessment was designed to evaluate legal knowledge, analytical ability, legal reasoning, and the practical application of legal principles expected of a candidate seeking appointment.

The assessment was marked out of 100, with the highest score achieved being 49 per cent, while the lowest was 30 per cent. After considering the results, the JSC concluded that the candidates had not demonstrated the level of legal knowledge and competence required for the position. Consequently, it resolved not to advance any of the candidates to the public interview stage, Hango added.

Applications for the new recruitment round will close on 31 July 2026. The written assessment will be conducted on an open-book basis, with selected reference materials made available to shortlisted candidates during the assessment.