Image: Namibian Presidency / Youtube
The voice of the Namibian president is heard firing a minister, criticising the West and praising Burkina Faso dictator Ibrahim Traore
An almost 23-minute-long voice note, which went viral in WhatsApp groups in late October and early November 2025, reached Namibia Fact Check in early November 2025 via WhatsApp.
The voice note appears to have been recorded from a Youtube video of the same length and showing a clearly AI-generated version of the Namibian president making the same statements. However, the Youtube video has been taken down, but it is unclear when this happened between when Namibia Fact Check viewed it on 6 November and when this article was published on 10 November.
Presidency’s response
It appears that not long after the voice note and Youtube video started circulating that the Namibian Presidency became aware of it.
On 3 November the Namibian Presidency issued a statement, accompanied by a screenshot image, labelling the Youtube video and audio fake and AI-generated disinformation.
The Namibian Presidency stated:
“The Presidency has noted with concern a circulating AI-generated video falsely
claiming that President Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has taken control of the
Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy following the dismissal of Hon. Natangwe
Ithete.
The Presidency categorically distances itself from the video and its contents. It is
false and misleading.
We caution the public not to be deceived by AI-generated content intended to
distort facts and damage the image of the President and the Presidency.
All official updates are shared only through the Presidency’s verified social media
platforms and communication channels.
Stay alert. Verify before you share.”
The content
Within the first minute of the audio, president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s voice announces that deputy prime minister and minister of industry, mines and energy, Natangwe Ithete, is “dismissed from his position, effective immediately” for betraying “the trust of the Namibian people” and because he “placed personal greed above national duty” and he has “engaged in corrupt dealings that have undermined the sovereignty of our country”. The audio announces that the president will take over of the ministry of industry, mines and energy.
Most of the audio is the president’s voice denouncing extractive exploitation of Namibia and Africa and saying “no to neo-colonial control”, and castigating former colonial powers and multinational corporations over their perceived imperialist tendencies and practices.
At just past the 11-minute mark, the president’s voice goes into praise for Burkina Faso’s military dictator, Ibrahim Traore, who is described as “a young man who has refused to bow before Western powers” and who the voice says has said that “Africa must own its destiny”.
In segments of the audio voices can be heard reacting in whispers over the audio track, suggesting that the voice note was probably recorded from the AI-generated Youtube video and that those who recorded it also recorded themselves reacting to some of the statements made.
The context
On 26 October 2025, the Namibian Presidency had indeed announced that the president had relieved deputy prime minister and minister of industry, mines and energy, Natangwe Ithete, of his official duties “with immediate effect”.
On 27 October, the Namibian president met with staff of the ministry of industry, mines and energy. During that engagement, she did not say that he was relieved of duty because he had betrayed “the trust of the Namibian people” or because he “placed personal greed above national duty”, or that he “engaged in corrupt dealings that have undermined the sovereignty of our country”. The statement she delivered can be read here.
And at no point since then has Namibian president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah publicly made statements similar to what are claimed to be her statements in the Youtube video and audio, as well as the viral voice note.
Despite the fact of the Namibian Presidency having distanced itself from the viral audio and video clips, as well as that the Youtube video has been taken down, similar Youtube videos making similar claims continue to circulate online.