Namibian banking tycoon Koos Brandt's farm ransacked by five robbers

Namibian banking tycoon Koos Brandt's farm outside the northern town of Grootfontein was broken into and ransacked by five suspected robbers while he was away in South Africa.

The suspects, one of whom was armed, raided the property about 17 kilometres from Grootfontein on a Sunday earlier this month and made off with valuables. No one was hurt. Farm workers who were on the property were too frightened to confront the group.

Brandt, 82, said he had not yet worked out the extent of the damage or the value of what was taken. He has not reported the break-in to the police, saying he has little confidence that a case would lead anywhere.

Commissioner Philip Hidengwa, the police commander for the Otjozondjupa region, which includes Grootfontein, said he was not aware of any break-in having been reported at the farm.

Co-founder of Namibia's biggest local bank

Brandt is one of the founders of Bank Windhoek, which a group of Namibian businessmen set up in 1982, eight years before the country's independence from South Africa, with the aim of creating a locally owned bank. He chaired the bank from 1990 and led its parent, now Capricorn Group Ltd., from its formation as Bank Windhoek Holdings in 1996.

Capricorn, which is listed on the Namibian Stock Exchange, has since grown into a regional financial services group with banks in Namibia, Botswana and Zambia, along with asset management, microlending and property businesses. Bank Windhoek is the largest Namibian-owned bank.

Brandt stepped down as chairman of Bank Windhoek and Capricorn in June 2017, handing over to Johan Swanepoel, and stayed on the boards as a non-executive director. He also chaired Capricorn Investment Holdings, which then held 40.7% of the group. He is one of the best-known figures in Namibian business and is also known for his philanthropy.

Farm crime worries in the north

Grootfontein sits with Tsumeb and Otavi in one of Namibia's main commercial farming districts. Johan van Heerden, who coordinates a joint crime prevention forum for the Namibia Agricultural Union in the three towns, said farm robberies and stock theft are a growing concern and that neighbouring farmers have been working together on security.

Willem Enslin, chairman of the Grootfontein Farmers' Association, urged farmers to control who comes onto their land, keep good dogs and improve lighting and fencing, while avoiding unnecessary weapons.

Toni Hancox, director of the Legal Assistance Centre, a Windhoek-based human rights law group, said law-abiding citizens should report crimes, though owners have the right to decide whether to report crimes involving their own property.

Namibia's police signed a 10-year cooperation agreement with four farmers' unions in July to fight crime on farms. A police report released last year showed that livestock worth more than N$123,000 ($7,400) was stolen from farms across the country between May 2021 and April 2023.