Justicia Shipena
“As you know, any person is not guilty until proven by the court of law.”
These were the words of Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) chief executive officer Peter Shaama when asked by the Windhoek Observer about the arrest of a candidate in Omaruru ahead of the upcoming elections.
The Windhoek Observer sought clarity from the ECN on how it would respond to a situation involving a candidate implicated in a criminal matter weeks before an election.
This week, Swapo candidate for the Omaruru Constituency and former mayor Hendrina Magano Gebhardt was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Gebhardt, who is now known for being arrested after saying she was not corrupt, is accused of abusing her position in 2012 to help her brother secure a municipal job.
According to the ACC, Gebhardt violated the Anti-Corruption Act of 2003 by instructing the then chief executive officer of the Omaruru Municipality to appoint her brother, Samuel Gebhardt, as workshop foreman.
The ACC further claims she told the CEO, “We brought you here,” before the appointment took place.
Shaama said the commission has nothing to say on the matter.
“This is an arrest, and any person is not guilty until proven guilty by a court of law,” he said on Wednesday.
He added that the ECN would continue to monitor developments and keep the public informed.
“Just like in the Omaruru case, the commission will keep the nation updated,” Shaama said.
Gebhardt appeared in the Omaruru Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday and was granted bail of N$8 000.
Her case has been transferred to the Omaruru Regional Court, where she is expected to enter a plea on 4 December 2025.
Swapo has not yet commented on the matter.
Gebhardt will contest the upcoming regional and local authority elections in Omaruru on the Swapo ticket.
She faces competition from an independent candidate and others representing the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo), People Unite for Change, Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) and United Democratic Front (UDF).
The regional and local authority elections will take place on 26 November.
