KEY POINTS
- IPC leader Itula demands full transparency over a N$612 million solar project linked to the president’s sons.
- The project involves a solar facility to supply electricity to a Chinese-owned smelter in Tsumeb.
- IPC says the public cannot verify whether the transaction was conducted transparently and legally.
Namibia’s main opposition leader is not accusing anyone of corruption. He just wants to see the documents.
Panduleni Itula, president of the Independent Patriots for Change, raised formal concerns last week over a N$612 million solar power project linked to the sons of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. The project is intended to supply electricity to the Tsumeb smelter owned by Chinese mining company Sinomine Resource Group.
At the center of Itula’s concerns is Massaus and Titan Energy Solutions, a company in which Tate Nande Ndaitwah, the president’s son, holds a shareholding and directorship alongside his brothers. The company was granted a licence to develop the solar facility.
Tate Nande Ndaitwah responded directly. He described Massaus and Titan Energy Solutions as a lawfully registered private company. “Every Namibian, regardless of their family, has the right to participate in this country’s economy,” he said. He added that the company’s only engagement with government relates to standard regulatory requirements such as permits and licences.
What Itula is actually asking for
Itula drew a sharper picture at a media briefing. He pointed to Farm 865 Massaus in the Oshikoto region, which he said is owned by the president and her husband, First Gentleman Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah. Title deed records in the party’s possession, he said, confirm this ownership.
A memorandum of intent between Sinomine and Massaus Investment CC, according to Itula, identifies Tate Nande Ndaitwah as managing member and outlines plans to develop a solar plant supplying the Tsumeb smelter. The memorandum references Farm 865 Massaus and contemplates electricity generation agreements, environmental approvals and grid connections.
IPC also flagged what it described as a discrepancy. Public records suggest Massaus Investment CC was registered on March 11, 2025, while the memorandum appears to have been signed earlier. Itula acknowledged this could have an innocent explanation but said the public deserves to see the full documentation.
The bigger picture Itula is pointing to
The IPC leader also questioned why environmental approvals were issued to Massaus and Titan Energy Solutions while the memorandum referenced Massaus Investment CC. The two are separate legal entities. “The missing document is the legal bridge,” he said.
Itula called on authorities to release site agreements, power-purchase arrangements, financing documents and engineering contracts. He said the Massaus file does not stand alone but connects to broader concerns about politically linked individuals accessing strategic sectors including energy, mining and fisheries.
“We are not saying the deal is corrupt,” Itula said. “We are saying the public cannot verify that it is clean.”
