Eba Kandovazu 

Namibian Police Force Deputy Inspector General Elias Mutota has confirmed the arrest of three family members in connection with the Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia) diamond heist that took place in Windhoek in January 2025.
The arrested trio has been identified as George Cloete, his wife Charmaine Cloete, and his brother Bino Cloete. 

Mutota could not disclose their involvement in the heist, saying that it might interfere with police investigations.
The three were denied bail when they appeared in the Keetmanshoop Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. 

They are charged with contravening the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, and illicit trafficking of goods under the Diamond Act.
The accused did not plead to the charges. 

Their rights to a formal bail application were explained to them.

 The matter is postponed to 7 August 2025 for further police investigations.
They were arrested on Monday. 

It is alleged that accused unlawfully entered the Namdia building in January this year, held staff members hostage, and stole an undisclosed amount of diamonds. 

They allegedly tied up the chief security officer, Francis Eiseb, and killed him.
One of the suspects, Max Endjala, reportedly turned the gun on himself as police officers closed in on him.
Namdia spokesperson Beverley Coussement told Nampa yesterday that to date, diamonds valued at N$40.6 million have been recovered out of a total N$314.9 million stolen.
“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. Some upgrades were put into place immediately following the incident, while others are being executed with urgency. In doing so, Namdia followed the Public Procurement Act (PPA), which permits Namdia as a public entity to procure services in response to this critical situation,” Coussement said.
-Nampa