Namibian AR Party Challenges Damaseb’s Appointment to Tanzania Commission

Namibia’s Affirmative Repositioning (AR) political party has challenged the appointment of Deputy Chief Justice Petrus T. Damaseb to Tanzania’s commission investigating violence and alleged criminal offences linked to the country’s October 2025 General Election.

In a statement issued after Damaseb was selected to join Tanzania’s Presidential Commission of Inquiry, AR called on the senior Namibian judge to reject the appointment and withdraw from the commission.

The party alleged that Tanzania’s decision to involve a serving senior judge from Namibia could be an attempt to use Namibia’s judiciary to improve its international image following the events surrounding the 2025 election.

AR further warned that Damaseb’s participation could damage the reputation of Namibia’s judiciary internationally, arguing that the country’s courts should not become associated with what it described as an attempt to “clean up” Tanzania’s image.

The party said Damaseb should decline the appointment to protect the integrity and reputation of Namibia’s judicial system.

The criticism comes shortly after Tanzania formally included Damaseb among the commissioners tasked with investigating violence and alleged violations of the law that occurred during and after the October 29, 2025 General Election.

Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has defended the inclusion of foreign judges, saying their participation would provide the commission with a broader perspective and strengthen the credibility of its work.

The commission, chaired by Tanzanian Court of Appeal Judge Shabani Lila, includes commissioners from Tanzania and other countries. Damaseb is joined by Ugandan Judge Barishaki Cheborion, while other members include retired Tanzanian judges.

President Samia said the commission’s mandate includes establishing who was responsible for the violence, who allegedly encouraged it and whether individuals or groups provided financial support for the unrest.

The commission has been given five months to complete its work and submit its findings and recommendations, although the period can be extended if necessary.

AR’s intervention now adds a political dimension in Namibia to a commission that Tanzania says was established to establish the facts surrounding the violence and recommend measures to strengthen the rule of law and prevent similar incidents in future elections.

The party’s demand, however, remains its own political position, and it is not yet clear whether Damaseb intends to withdraw from the commission.