Staff Reporter
THE German Armed Forces Technical Advisory Group (GAFTAG) has concluded 33 years of support to Namibia, officially bidding farewell on 2 December 2025 at a ceremony hosted by German Ambassador Dr Hutter in Windhoek. Since January 1992, GAFTAG has provided professional expertise to help develop and reorganise the Namibian Defence Forces (NDF) in the years following Namibia’s independence.
Over three decades, GAFTAG contributed to key projects including the construction of an ammunition destruction facility near Walvis Bay (2001–2008), a fully equipped field hospital with laboratory and intensive care facilities (2009–2020), a medical training centre (2013–2016), a vocational training centre with motor vehicle workshops and a driving school (2017–2024), and a mobile command post for SADC joint exercises (2021–2025). During the COVID-19 pandemic, GAFTAG facilitated urgent deliveries of medical supplies from Germany via a Ukrainian transport aircraft in 2021.
Altogether, approximately N$800 million was invested in these projects, with around N$680 million contributed by Germany and N$120 million by Namibia, not including the deployment of around 50 German military experts and their families over the years.
At the farewell, Ambassador Dr Hutter praised GAFTAG’s decades-long contribution, saying: “Well-equipped and capable national armed forces are an essential feature of any sovereign state. Germany is proud to have supported the Namibian Defence Forces in this important task. We hope the NDF will continue to operate the jointly created infrastructure responsibly and benefit from its advantages for many years to come.”
GAFTAG’s mission will formally conclude in 2025, after which the German Defence Attaché, accredited to Namibia from Pretoria, will continue regular visits to monitor the use of the projects.
Photo: German Embassy Windhoek
