A long-running syndicate accused of smuggling military-owned guns onto the black market in Namibia and South Africa has come into sharper focus, as new information obtained by The Issue links the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs to weapons that ended up in the hands of criminal groups across the border.
The revelations follow years of concern over government-issued guns disappearing into criminal networks, a controversy previously centred on the Namibian Police. Fresh details now show that defence-owned firearms, including 9mm pistols and fully automatic AK-47 rifles, have allegedly been stolen from the Leopard’s Valley military base on the outskirts of Windhoek since at least 2018.
Five military officials and four alleged civilian accomplices have been arrested and charged, with their criminal trial scheduled to begin next May in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court. The nine accused face 81 counts ranging from theft and corruption to illegal firearm possession, the smuggling and sale of military weapons, organised crime and defeating or obstructing the course of justice. The soldiers charged are Thomas Paulus, David Chicken, Frans Hiskia, Ushona Setson and Silvanus Nghitiwa. They are joined by Simon Mutota, Alweendo Namandje, Elias Mwentwikange and Luqmann Davids.
The Issue understands that authorities were alerted in early 2021 to military-grade weapons circulating in Windhoek’s informal settlements, where AK-47s fetched about N$4 000 and pistols were sold for N$2 000. A joint task team comprising Namibian Police and Military Police officers launched an undercover sting, posing as buyers. An undisclosed number of weapons and accessories were recovered.
Investigations later pointed to Oshakati businessman Luqmann Davids as a key buyer allegedly involved in moving guns to Cape Town. According to law-enforcement sources, Davids purchased pistols for around N$4 000 and AK-47s for N$6 000 before smuggling them south. He was already under investigation in a separate 2017 firearms-related case registered in Ondangwa.
In February 2021, when police approached Davids for questioning at his Oshakati business, he allegedly fled in a Cape Town-registered vehicle. A high-speed chase ensued, culminating in his discovery inside a mosque compound in Okandjengedi. Police also reportedly found cannabis in his car, leading to an additional drug-possession charge.
Despite the severity of the case, the defence ministry has remained silent. The Issue submitted detailed questions to the ministry in September, but no response was received by the time of publication. The matter aligns with findings by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, which reported in September that Namibian government-issued weapons have been seized by South African authorities in Cape Town.
Similar concerns have emerged within the Namibian Police. In 2022, at least six police officers and two civilian employees were arrested over 180 stolen pistols believed to have ended up with Cape Town gangs. That case was withdrawn in September after a magistrate refused further postponements. Police inspector general Joseph Shikongo insisted the matter was unrelated to the Global Initiative’s findings.
The year 2021, when the defence-force smuggling scheme was uncovered, also saw the ministry block the Auditor General’s access to its facilities. At the time, the Auditor General was attempting to verify reported expenditure of N$500 million on military equipment, prompting the ministry to accuse the oversight office of spying. Questions sent by The Issue in September to Auditor General Junias Kandjeke regarding audits of the ministry and the status of ammunition inventories remain unanswered.
The mounting evidence from law-enforcement sources, court documents and independent research points to an entrenched and organised system of weapons leakage from state armouries. As the accused await trial, the full scope of the syndicate and potential accountability within the defence ministry are issues Namibia must now confront.
