TIRI MASAWI
Namibia Desert Diamonds (NAMDIA) is still operating largely outside its N$56 million head office, 21 months after a robbery in which diamonds worth N$314.9 million were stolen.
The state-owned diamond marketing company has yet to return to its own premises, limiting the number of clients it can engage and the scale of its sales operations.
NAMDIA spokesperson Beverly Coussment confirmed to Namibia Business Review last week that the company continues to operate from accommodated facilities.
“This limits the number of clients that can be engaged at any given time and constrains NAMDIA’s capacity to conduct its sales activities at the scale and frequency that would otherwise be possible,” she said.
The robbery took place on 18 January 2025 at NAMDIA’s headquarters in Windhoek. It resulted in the loss of 51,727.15 carats of rough diamonds originally purchased from the Namibia Diamond Trading Company.
Police have recovered diamonds worth N$40.6 million, amounting to 4,511.50 carats. Diamonds worth N$274.3 million remain unaccounted for.
Coussment said the company was still dealing with the operational impact of the robbery while navigating a downturn in the international diamond market.
“NAMDIA has had to balance its commercial mandate with the practical limitations arising from the incident, the prevailing market environment and the absence of normal operating infrastructure,” she said.
The company’s head office, known as the Eumbo building, was inaugurated in 2018. It stands at the corner of Sam Nujoma Drive and Dr Kwame Nkrumah Street in Windhoek.
NAMDIA purchased the property for about N$56 million before engaging Kerry McNamara Architects to design the current structure. Namibia Construction (Pty) Ltd built the premises.
SQUARE ONE
In March 2025, NAMDIA said staff had returned to the office after working remotely following the robbery.
Coussment said at the time that essential repairs had been completed to address damage caused during the incident and ensure a safe working environment.
“While specific details related to our security improvements cannot be shared for security reasons, significant enhancements have been made to strengthen the company’s protective measures,” she said.
She added that some security upgrades had been introduced immediately after the robbery, while others were being implemented urgently.
NAMDIA said the work was carried out in line with the Public Procurement Act and international best practices to protect staff, diamonds and the premises.
However, the company has yet to resume normal operations from its own building.
“The current arrangements must therefore be understood in the context of these operational limitations and should not be interpreted as a deliberate departure from the objective of maintaining a diversified client base,” Coussment said.
A COSTLY AFTERMATH
The heist shocked the diamond industry and claimed the lives of NAMDIA senior protection officer Francis Eiseb and suspect Max Endjala, who died from injuries sustained after police confronted the group.
The robbery also triggered internal investigations and management changes at NAMDIA. Chief executive Alisa Amupolo, Chief Operations Officer Uahoroka Kauta and Security Manager Paulinus Sheyapo were suspended, with Lelly Usiku taking over as interim chief executive.
NAMDIA also launched a N$314 million civil lawsuit against G4S Secure Solutions Namibia, accusing the security firm of gross negligence and alleging that its on-duty guard, Samuel Shipanga, participated in the robbery.
By July 2026, the lawsuit had reached a legal deadlock over disputes concerning the disclosure of criminal evidence, according to the information supplied.
In July 2026, the Prosecutor General decided that three accused men, Joel Angula, Sam Shololo and Samuel Shipanga, would stand trial in the Windhoek High Court.
The suspects remain in custody, while police continue efforts to trace the missing diamonds.
Investigations have also led to arrests beyond Windhoek. Bino Cloete, his brother George Cloete and sister-in-law Charmaine were arrested in Keetmanshoop over alleged attempts to smuggle and sell the stolen diamonds in South Africa. Former NAMDIA protection officer Charles Rhoman was arrested in January 2026 and appeared in the Bethanie Magistrate’s Court.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security has also told Parliament that some aspects of the recovery operation remain classified because of national and economic security concerns.
COMMENTS