Nampol Inspector General Joseph Shikongo leaves the helm of the Namibian Police Force after serving nearly four years of service as Police Chief.

Lieutenant General Shikongo succeeded Sebastian Ndeitunga and held the position from August 2022 until May 2026.

A trained soldier and former Plan fighter, Shikongo's rise to the top office followed decades in the security sector.

The former police chief held positions in criminal investigations, regional commands, and senior management.

He was appointed as |Khomas Police regional commander in 2019 and rose to Deputy Inspector General of Operations in 2021 before assuming office as head of NamPol in 2022.

Lieutenant General Shikongo consistently urged his management to engage with the media, promote civilian education, and emphasise that arrest should be the final option.

Shikongo also supervised policing operations during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, frequently joining ground forces to enforce public health regulations.

He was reappointed for a further three-year term in 2024 by President Nangolo Mbumba.

On Tuesday, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah removed General Shikongo from his position as inspector general, appointing Major General Anne-Marie Nainda, who assumed office with immediate effect.

Nainda is the first woman to have been appointed as Inspector General, albeit in an acting capacity.