By Eliaser Ndeyanale | 30 July 2025
THE chief of Ondonga, Fillemon Nangolo, acquired a N$1.7 million white Range Rover V6 from Victor Malima, a businessman wanted in connection with the ongoing National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) fuel corruption case.
Documents seen by The Namibian show that the Ondonga leader repaid Malima in 2022 through two cash payments and the transfer of a residential property at Ondangwa.
This transaction is seen by some as evidence of Malima’s entanglement with one of Namibia’s most influential traditional authorities.
Malima and his uncles, Peter and Malakia Elindi, have long maintained close ties to the Ondonga royal house inner circle.
After the Namcor scandal broke this month, speculation emerged that chief Nangolo’s name could surface in court proceedings due to his past business dealings with Malima.
At the time, this centred on a luxury vehicle, a Land Rover Defender currently driven by the Ondonga chief, known as ‘Omukwaniilwa’.
However, sources familiar with the matter insist the Land Rover Defender is unrelated to the transaction, saying the vehicle in question was a white Range Rover.
It is unclear when the transaction was finalised or how the Ondonga chief structured the repayment. However, bank records show that he paid N$200 000 to ‘Simaneka V Malima’ on 23 August 2022.
The payment was made from Okukala Development AN Trading CC with reference: “Range”. That company is 100% owned by Nangolo.
Another payment of N$300 000 was made by Okukala Development AN Trading CC to Malima on 2 November 2022. That brought the total cash payment to N$500 000.
According to insiders, the chief then transferred a house at Ondangwa to Malima.
The house, situated on erf 4861 at Ondangwa Extension 24, is valued at N$1.2 million – bringing the total value of the deal to N$1.7 million.
The property includes a four-bedroom main house with two bathrooms, a single garage, and two self-contained flats. It’s unclear if the land was registered under Malima’s name, especially since he is said to have hidden his assets.
Contacted for comment on Sunday, Nangolo asked “does the car belong to The Namibian?” before referring The Namibian to Ondonga Traditional Authority chairperson John Walenga.
When contacted for comment two weeks ago, Ondonga Traditional Authority secretary Frans Enkali said he did not know the details about the vehicle.
“It’s personal. I don’t know if there is anything of that kind. It’s not for me to answer or say anything. I don’t know anything about anything. To me, that’s personal,” Enkali said.
Malima (34), who owns Eco Fuel and has held both chairman and managing director positions at Enercon Namibia, fled from Namibia two weeks ago.
This was confirmed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
His alleged escape came a few days after the arrests of individuals linked to the Namcor scandal.
Malima’s Eco Fuel was allegedly not licensed to trade fuel despite paying N$9 million during the Enercon fuel rights transaction.
This payment is part of a N$53 million payment which was used to acquire Enercon fuel supply rights for the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs.
So far, the state has portrayed Malima as a key paymaster accused of purchasing vehicles for powerful government officials.
This includes a N$3.7 million vehicle allegedly used by former Namcor managing director Imms Mulunga, among others.
While Malima is viewed as a central figure in the alleged payments network of the fuel scandal, some sources believe his ties to the Ondonga Traditional Authority were largely facilitated by Peter and Malakia, who now also face corruption allegations.
ROYALTY AND PETRO-MONEY
Malima, a nephew of the late director general of the Namibia Central Intelligence Service, grew up in Peter’s house. Peter is also the headman of Etope village.
The Elindis have over the years spread their sphere of influence. Peter is one of the organisers of the Etotha Carnival, a tourism expo hosted by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism at Onanke village in the Oshikoto region in 2023.
Online news outlet Informante reported two weeks ago that Malima and the Elindi brothers were part of the individuals allocated land at Okashana in the Oshikoto region near Etosha National Park in Ondonga last year.
At a press conference last year, Walenga said that was the first time the land rights were being allocated in the area.
He further said the allocated plots measure between 20 and 50 hectares and were being leased for N$20 600 each for a period of five years.
In October last year Malakia, through his lawyer Appolos Shimakeleni, said he was never allocated any piece of land at Okashana.
“Our client never applied for land at the aforesaid area, and was never allocated any piece of land at Okashana kuukongo gwaNehale and does not own or hold rights to a piece of land at Okashana kuukongo gwaNehale,” Shimakeleni said in a letter at the time.
