Shortlist emerges for next prosecutor-general
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has moved a step closer to appointing Namibia’s next Prosecutor-General, with shortlisted candidates understood to have been contacted for written interviews scheduled for this week Friday.
Multiple sources confirmed to Namibian Sun that those on the shortlist include Taswald July, Salomon Kanyemba, Luscious Matota, Henry Muhongo and Ruben Shileka - all seasoned legal practitioners with extensive experience within Namibia’s criminal justice system.
The process is aimed at identifying a successor to long-serving Prosecutor-General Olyvia Martha Imalwa.
Imalwa, who has held the post since 2004, is currently serving in an acting capacity until 31 December 2026 following a recommendation by the JSC to President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. The interim arrangement was put in place to ensure continuity at the Office of the Prosecutor-General while the recruitment process is finalised.
“This interim appointment will safeguard stability and the uninterrupted functioning of the Office of the Prosecutor-General as the commission finalises its recommendation for the substantive appointment,” JSC commissioner Elias Shikongo said in a statement issued in December last year.
The candidates
July is arguably the most high-profile of the five. A former deputy prosecutor-general, he represented the State in the marathon Caprivi High Treason trial - one of the most complex cases in Namibia’s post-independence history. He later transitioned into the private sector and currently serves as group legal adviser at First National Bank Namibia. July holds a B.Proc degree and an MBA from the University of Namibia, and was previously shortlisted for the position in 2020 when Imalwa was reappointed.
Kanyemba is a legal practitioner of the High Court who spent several years as a state prosecutor within the Office of the Prosecutor-General before establishing his own firm, Salomon Kanyemba Incorporated, in Windhoek West. In private practice, he has appeared in a number of high-profile criminal matters before the High Court.
Matota is a serving deputy prosecutor-general based at the Oshakati High Court, where he oversees prosecutions across northern jurisdictions, including Oshakati and Ondangwa. His continued role within the Office of the Prosecutor-General provides him with strong institutional knowledge.
Muhongo is a long-serving state prosecutor who has built his career within the Office of the Prosecutor-General in Windhoek. While he maintains a lower public profile than some of the other candidates, his years of service reflect a steady and committed career in public prosecution.
Shileka, also a deputy prosecutor-general, has represented the State in both trial and appellate proceedings, including in high-profile matters before the superior courts. He previously served in the Gobabis office before rising to his current senior role.
Process underway
The JSC advertised the position in December 2025, with applications closing on 16 January 2026.
According to the advertisement, candidates must hold legal qualifications entitling them to practise in all courts of Namibia and must demonstrate - through experience, conscientiousness and integrity - that they are fit and proper persons to hold the office.
The shortlisted candidates are now expected to undergo a written interview process as part of the commission’s evaluation.
Tight-lipped
Those approached for comment remained cautious, citing the ongoing nature of the process.
Kanyemba declined to respond substantively, noting that the questions posed mirrored those set by the JSC for the written assessment.
“I am scared it will be a little premature for me to be quoted commenting on the same issues before the actual written assessment takes place,” he said.
July also declined to comment, saying: “I have no comment at this stage. We can talk after the process has concluded.”
Matota and Muhongo did not respond to questions sent to them.
