WALVIS BAY – Rail carrier TransNamib plans to dispatch a team to the south to investigate and interview at least nine witnesses following a derailment that claimed two lives.
Two people were killed recently when the luxury Rovos Rail train derailed about 100km from Keetmanshoop, according to TransNamib.
According to an internal memo seen by New Era, a departmental inquiry into the incident will take place next week in Keetmanshoop.
A nine-member panel chaired by Abel Abel, Manager of Audit Services, will chair the investigations. The panel also includes senior executives and officials from rail operations, locomotive engineering, and track maintenance. Ben Engelbrecht from the Directorate of Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation is also part of the team that will be dispatched to Keetmanshoop.
According to the memo, at least seven officials expected to testify include senior train operations supervisor, train controller, a chief civil engineer, a regional engineer for the south Bertus Christiaan, chief of track maintenance, and a technical supervisor. These are some of the witnesses who will be testifying at the inquiry.
Contacted yesterday, TransNamib spokesperson Alina Garises said it is too early to share information.
“It is still too early to provide a detailed comment on the matter, as investigations are currently ongoing, and the relevant processes must be allowed to run their course,” she said.
New Era understands that the inquiry will focus on the circumstances of the wash-away and derailment, assess whether railway safety procedures were followed, and determine if maintenance lapses contributed to the accident.
Meanwhile, an internal memorandum dated 5 March 2026 from TransNamib’s Executive for Engineering and Technical Services, Bertus Eksteen, raised concern that civil permanent perway maintenance teams in the South had been withdrawn from their normal railway maintenance duties following his visit to Keetmanshoop on 1 and 2 March.
In the memo, Eksteen stressed that no instruction had been issued to halt maintenance work. “At no time was an instruction given to stand down any permanent way maintenance teams,” he wrote, adding that “all maintenance works and rail safety compliance inspections will proceed as per normal.”
He further directed that weekly activity reports be compiled for teams operating in Keetmanshoop, Karasburg, Bethanie and Aus, detailing the sections of railway worked on, progress made, safety compliance and any operational challenges affecting the lines.