The 61-year-old driver whose arrest for transporting cannabis valued at N$3-million (1 Namibian dollar = 1 ZAR) , and who subsequently led police to the discovery of a N$52-million cannabis plantation in Okahandja, was released on bail on Wednesday 17 December 2025.
Johannes Kamati was freed on N$50 000 bail after the High Court upheld an appeal to overturn a decision by the Okahandja Magistrate’s Court, which had refused him bail on 26 September 2025. Komati’s release comes seven months after police discovered a record multi-million dollar cannabis enterprise at Eendrag Farm in the Hochfeld area at Okahandja.
His release was thanks to an appeal judgement by acting judge Marilize du Plessis, who accepted Kamati’s version that he thought he was carrying meat and not cannabis in the boxes found in his possession on 28 May 2025. Judge Eileen Rakow concurred.
In her appeal judgement, Du Plessis noted that Kamati did not dispute that 58kg of cannabis was found in his vehicle. “What he does dispute is having any knowledge of the fact that it was there,” she stated. Judges Rakow and Du Plessis summarised in their order granting bail that Kamati had informed arresting officers that he was under the impression there was meat in the boxes in which police found 52 parcels of cannabis.
The judges were satisfied that Kamati was not a flight risk, was not in possession of a passport and did not have any contacts outside of Namibia. His bail conditions include not interfering with witnesses in the case.
The court has heard Kamati’s main duties initially were to transport cattle from Van der Linden’sf arm to various outlets. However, by the time of his arrest there were only a handful of cattle belonging to Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) and Kamati was running other occasional driving errands for Van der Linden’s using his own truck.
Namibian authorities are currently probing how 1 000 cattle belonging to Meatco disappeared from farm Eendrag which was breeding the cattle on contract. This is up from the 400 herd of cattle initially reported as missing. It is believed Van der Linden will now have to answer to how a thousand beasts disappeared.
Separately, Kamati is facing a charge of money laundering.
The judges found that magistrate Auguste Simon erred in law and/or fact by stating that the seriousness of the offence went against the administration of justice and the public interest.
The Eendrag farm suspects were taunted by protesters objecting to their being granted bail in earlier appearances at Okahandja Magistrate’s Court; this promoted Ganja Users of Namibia (GUN) to intervene. GUN issued a statement alerting the public to the right to bail for all suspects under Section 60 of the Namibian constitution.
Namibia forbids all forms of cannabis use and GUN is currently litigating in the courts in a bid to overturn prohibiting legislation. Authorities are believed to be examining draft legislation to allow for limited cannabis use under certain circumstances.
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