Renthia Kaimbi and Allexer Namundjembo
Chief magistrates could earn a total package of about N$1.02 million per year, according to the proposed salary scales for magistrates across the country, detailed in a letter by the Magistrates Commission.
This includes an annual salary of N$653 212.49, bonuses of N$54 434.37, a housing allowance of N$153 816, and a car allowance of N$162 201.
The deputy chief magistrate could take home a total package of roughly N$969 000 per year.
This includes a basic salary of N$625 642.81, bonuses of N$52 136.90, a housing allowance of N$142 104, and a car allowance of N$149 351.
Both division and regional court magistrates would receive a similar total of about N$967 000 annually, made up of a base salary of N$625 642.81, bonuses of N$52 136.90, and a housing allowance of N$142 351.
Principal magistrates would earn an estimated N$894 000 per year, consisting of a salary of N$577 865.88, bonuses of N$48 155.49, N$131 280 for housing, and a car allowance of N$136 485.
For senior magistrates, the total annual package would be around N$749 000, combining a salary of N$481 560, bonuses of N$34 880, N$121 560 for housing and a car allowance of N$110 917.
At the entry level, magistrates would receive approximately N$611 000 a year. This includes a basic salary of N$349 180, bonuses of N$29 098.33, and the same housing and car allowances as senior magistrates — N$121 560 and N$110 917, respectively.
The Magistrates and Judges Association of Namibia (MJAN) says these figures form part of an agreement already reached with the office of the judiciary and the Magistrates Commission.
They accuse justice and labour relations Minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel of delaying the deal by refusing to sign it.
MJAN’s lawyer, Florian Beukes, said in a press statement on Tuesday that Immanuel’s legal justification for withholding approval was invalid.
The statement followed Immanuel’s Monday night interview on NBC News, where he said the ongoing magistrates’ strike had no legal basis.
Beukes said the minister’s reasoning relied on a “non-existent” law.
“We do not derive legal provisions from conjecture or personal opinion; the law exists to guide our actions, and it is our duty to interpret it in a manner consistent with the Constitution,” he said.
He explained that the Magistrates Act clearly defines the Magistrates Commission as an independent body responsible for the appointment and oversight of magistrates.
“It is not a conduit for ministerial command,” Beukes said.
He added that the dispute could already have been resolved, saying the only step left is for Immanuel to sign the agreement.
MJAN chairperson Justice Boas Usiku wrote to Immanuel on 7 November, confirming that negotiations had ended and that the new salary structure aligned with a 2023 agreement funded in the current financial year.
Beukes said the minister’s failure to approve the deal had prolonged the strike and hurt both the dignity of magistrates and the functioning of the courts.
On Sunday, Immanuel declared the strike illegal and ordered magistrates to return to work. He said he could not find a legal basis for the industrial action.
“As minister of justice and labour relations, I could not find a legal basis for the ongoing countrywide strike by magistrates,” he said. He described the strike as disobedience, absence from duty and behaviour that undermines the integrity of the judiciary.
Magistrates, however, accuse the ministry of mishandling the process and preparing to gazette a flawed benefits schedule that lowers the grades of the chief magistrate and other senior officials.
They say this would leave them earning less than other government officials, even though N$8 million has already been allocated for their salary improvements.
MJAN maintains that the matter could be resolved immediately if the minister approves the agreed structure, allowing magistrates to resume work and stabilise court operations nationwide.
