By Eliaser Ndeyanale and Timo Shihepo | 29 June 2025
Representatives of founding president Sam Nujoma are questioning whether businessman José Bastos sidelined him in a seaside property deal involving a municipal land donation.
They want to know if Nujoma was excluded from profits linked to the 5 000 square metre plot at Walvis Bay.
The history of the plot dates back to 2007, when the Walvis Bay municipality donated this piece of land – roughly half the size of a football field – to Nujoma.
Nujoma subsequently entered into an agreement with Bastos, his friend, to develop a luxury complex on the land.
Some sources claim the two agreed to share the profits.
The complex allegedly features close to 10 luxury units.
However, it appears Nujoma ended up receiving only one unit in the complex, known as the Presidential Suites, situated in the affluent Meersig area near the Walvis Bay lagoon.
The Namibian understands that Nujoma’s representatives have since questioned Bastos over the terms and outcome of this deal worth millions of dollars.
The property in question – Erf 953 – lies along Millionaires Lane, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
AMIGOS
Nujoma was reportedly so close to Bastos that he dismissed concerns raised within his circle about the Spaniard’s business dealings.
In 2011, Bastos boasted to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) about his relationship with Nujoma.
Bastos confided in the ICIJ at the time that he was doing “the old man” a favour.
“I’m building him a house,” Bastos said at the time, producing a power of attorney agreement with the former president regarding the development.
More information on this agreement has now become available.
Three years after getting the plot for free from Walvis Bay, Nujoma went into a partnership with his friend.
Information seen by The Namibian shows that Nujoma issued a special power of attorney to Bastos in November 2010, allowing him to develop the property through Hallie Investment No. 260 CC – a company Nujoma owned.
According to the agreement, Bastos was required to hand over one completed sectional title unit to Nujoma for free.
Sources in Nujoma’s camp say the former head of state was, however, supposed to get more than just one unit in the complex.
In 2022, Nujoma’s representatives asked about the status of the 5 000 square metre plot.
Bastos was initially bullish about this.
However, the fishmonger later provided Nujoma’s representatives with more details.
He allegedly told them the development project had been completed and sold.
In the reply Bastos also mentioned a company called Jacamar Investment CC which he said owns Nujoma’s unit.
Jacamar, Bastos said, is 100% owned by Nujoma and his wife.
‘ALWAYS MINE’
Now, Bastos is claiming that the plot was always his – despite documentation showing it was donated to Nujoma.
“We made an agreement, but the plot was mine. But I sold it to Utoni (Nujoma’s eldest son) already. You don’t have to worry about it,” Bastos told The Namibian this week.
Utoni did not respond to questions sent to him this week.
Bastos’ lawyer, Richard Metcalfe, did not respond to questions sent to him yesterday. He, however, said he would respond on Monday.
Metcalfe threatened legal action, accusing The Namibian of not affording Bastos a fair chance to respond.
“Seems The Namibian has lowered its standards. You have been warned. My client will give the reply to other media entities who are interested in fair journalism,” Metcalfe said in a text to The Namibian yesterday.
Chairperson of the Sam Nujoma Foundation Nahas Angula this week distanced the foundation from the seaside property.
“The Sam Nujoma Foundation has nothing to do with the Walvis Bay municipality. That is maybe a family issue or Nujoma Trust if there is. We, the foundation, only deal with the plot that is next to home affairs in Windhoek.”
The Walvis Bay Municipality acknowledged questions but did not respond.
The property saga adds to mounting concerns that individuals close to Nujoma may have exploited his name and legacy to secure business benefits.
FISHING DIVIDENDS
The latest revelations follow The Namibian’s report this week about Bastos claiming that he paid dividends meant for the Sam Nujoma Foundation to Nujoma personally.
Emeritus Fishing was started by Bastos. He said he offered Nujoma a 20% share in the company, who allegedly advised him [Bastos] to donate them to his foundation.
The Namibian understands that some figures within the Sam Nujoma Foundation are pointing fingers at Bastos and John Nauta, a former aide to Nujoma, for allegedly keeping the foundation in the dark about funds it was reportedly meant to benefit from.
Nauta, who is listed as a director of Emeritus Fishing, last Friday told The Namibian that he serves as a nominee shareholder of the Sam Nujoma Foundation and that he receives board fees, accommodation and travel expenses from Emeritus Fishing, like other board members.
LAND BONANZA
The Namibian in 2015 reported that the Sam Nujoma Foundation made over N$13 million by selling part of the land it received free of charge from the municipality of Windhoek a decade ago.
The municipality gave the foundation a piece of land measuring 36 000 square meters.
The foundation then sold 2 000 square metres of the land to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security.
In 2020, Nujoma’s office was allocated 50 hectares of land by the Otavi Town Council for a Chinese company that wanted to build an abattoir at Otavi.
