Also known as: Fishrot fraud · Fishrot case · Fishrot fraud, corruption and racketeering case · Fishrot corruption scandal · 2019 Fishrot scandal · Fishrot fraud and corruption scandal · Fishrot saga · Fishrot affair · The Fishrot Gang · Fishrot accused · Fishrot scandal · Fishrot trial · Fishrot corruption case · Fishrot matter · Fishrot corruption and fraud trial · Fishrot corruption saga · Fishrot fraud and corruption case · the Namibia Fishrot case · Fishrot fishing quotas fraud, corruption and racketeering case
News reports
Order a long-term news report on Fishrot
Every mention in the Namibian press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
The Namibian
… This follows the uncovering of the Fishrot fraud and corruption scandal in 2019. …
252 Fishrot fishermen want payouts 7 years after losing jobsInformanté
… De Klerk is said to have played a paymaster role in the Fishrot scandal, channelling millions through his law firm, De Klerk, Horn and Coetzee Inc (DHC), to the co-accused in the N$10 billion money laundering and bribery scheme, which involved siphoning profits from Namibian hors …
Fishrot fugitive lawyer De Klerk takes on PG and Shikongo over pension fundsThe Namibian
… Because it is so lucrative.” Every structural element of Fishrot is present: high-value resource sector, transparent process corrupted, foreign company as vehicle, Swapo insiders as beneficiaries, state institution weaponised, campaign financing from interested parties and journa …
Panduleni Itula at Windhoek Media Briefing on Petroleum Amendment BillThe Namibian
… THE GHOST OF FISHROT We have walked this path before. In 2015, the Marine Resources Amendment Act was rushed through with similar promises of serving the “national interest”. …
Build Strong Institutions, Not EmpiresThe Namibian
The Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) is again seeking to move the Fishrot accused to communal cells at the Windhoek Correctional Facility despite a recent High Court ruling. …
Fishrot accused face move to communal cellsNew Era
… In 2015, the Marine Resources Amendment Act was rushed through with similar promises of serving the “national interest.” That legislative manoeuvre inadvertently (or otherwise) paved the way for the “Fishrot” scandal, the largest corruption case in our history. …
Opinion – Build strong institutions of accountability not personal empiresThe Namibian
The state would have spent at least N$6 million per year had it relied on private legal practitioners to prosecute the Fishrot fraud and corruption case. …
Private Fishrot lawyers would cost Govt N$6m per yearThe Namibian
… After the Fishrot saga, the stench of corruption, correctly or otherwise, pervades almost every government financial and commercial decision. …
Oil, President Trump and President Nandi-NdaitwahThe Namibian
A N$4.5 Million Windhoek house, owned by Fishrot accused Tamson ‘Fitty’ Hatuikulipi, in the upmarket Ausblick neighbourhood is falling apart. …
Fishrot accused Tamson Hatuikulipi’s N$4.5 million Windhoek mansion falls into ruinThe Namibian
The people charged in the Fishrot fraud, corruption and racketeering case are presumed innocent until proven guilty, and their human rights should be respected, it is stated in a judgement delivered in the Windhoek High Court on Thursday. …
Judge affirms rights of detained Fishrot accusedRicardo Gustavo and Namgomar Pesca Namibia have requested the High Court order the state to provide more details on charges including racketeering, money laundering, conspiracy to commit corruption, corruptly giving gratification, fraud and tax evasion. Judge Eileen Rakow postponed the hearing on the application for further particulars to 11 November.
20 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Ricardo Gustavo and Namgomar Pesca Namibia have requested the High Court order the state to provide more details on charges including racketeering, money laundering, conspiracy to commit corruption, corruptly giving gratification, fraud and tax evasion. Judge Eileen Rakow postponed the hearing on the application for further particulars to 11 November.
20 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Bernard Esau's lawyer asked the High Court to arrange a bus or sedan for his client's transport to and from court instead of a police van, citing his age and medical condition. Judge Eileen Rakow did not issue a binding order but suggested an interim arrangement while the matter was clarified.
20 October 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Workers in the Government Employment Redress Programme face termination on 31 October and express concern about uncertain futures and lack of clarity on programme benefits. The Mining, Metal, Maritime and Construction Workers Union has demanded the government halt the termination process until workers are meaningfully consulted and outstanding issues are addressed.
12 October 2026 · The Namibian →
A Namibian editorial examines the broader economic damage of the Fishrot scandal beyond direct theft, arguing that Namibia's greylisting and subsequent banking restrictions have hindered Namibian digital creators' access to international payment platforms and monetisation systems.
2 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Four individuals charged in the Fishrot fraud, corruption and racketeering case — including former attorney general Sacky Shanghala, James Hatuikulipi, Otneel Shuudifonya and Pius Mwatelulo — are seeking an interdict to stop the prosecutor general from continuing to prosecute them. Judge Gabriel Komboni has postponed his judgment to 3 February 2025, after hearing oral arguments in the Windhoek High Court.
16 September 2026 · The Namibian →
The Institute for Public Policy Research has urged the government to publish details of fishing rights and quota holders, including beneficial ownership information, and to amend the Marine Resources Act to reduce ministerial discretion over quota allocations. IPPR executive director Graham Hopwood warned that delaying reform could allow corruption to become further embedded in the sector.
7 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Businessman James Hatuikulipi has lodged an urgent application in August 2026 to overturn a judgment that led to the auctioning of his Finkenstein property, claiming new evidence shows levies were paid despite the auction proceeding. Hatuikulipi is among those arrested in 2019 in connection with the "Fishrot" scandal, accused of involvement in an alleged racketeering, corruption and money-laundering scheme involving at least N$300 million related to bribes from Icelandic fishing company Samherji for horse mackerel quotas.
3 September 2026 · Informanté →
The author argues that education and intelligence are not the same thing, and that knowledge reproduction differs from genuine thinking. AI systems that provide answers without fostering reasoning risk exacerbating this problem by supplying information without teaching people how to think independently.
1 September 2026 · The Namibian →
An opinion piece argues that Namibia's persistent economic and social problems—unresolved land questions, debt, unemployment, and poverty—stem not from democracy itself but from those entrusted to implement it. The author contends that a growing narrative blaming democracy and the Constitution is a misdiagnosis of the deeper structural problem.
27 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
An opinion piece argues that Namibia's constitutional framework treats opposition parties as inferior and enables majority rule to suppress truth and facts in parliamentary and cabinet decisions, calling for amendment of Articles 32 and 35 to establish a consensus-based system of governance.
25 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The Namibian editorial commends President Nandi-Ndaitwah for opposing seabed phosphate mining but criticizes the lack of clear policy, after environmental commissioner Timoteus Mufeti granted Namibian Marine Phosphate an environmental clearance certificate despite more than a decade of unresolved controversy.
16 August 2026 · The Namibian →
An editorial argues that Namibia's 35-year-old inherited Westminster governance system does not suit the country's traditional consensus-based decision-making and ubuntu values, and suggests other African nations like Botswana have succeeded by adapting governance to their own cultures.
15 August 2026 · The Namibian →
Petrina Nghipudilo Ya Shiindi of the Independent Patriots for Change faces a defamation lawsuit from businessman Josef Andreas, who is demanding N$250,000 and a public apology for comments Ya Shiindi made on Facebook between March and May 2026, alleging Andreas is corrupt and involved in state capture and the Fishrot scandal. Despite the court case, Ya Shiindi has continued to post accusations against Andreas on social media.
12 August 2026 · Informanté →
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has admitted that 912 beneficiaries under the Government Employment Redress Programme are not actively employed, out of 2,255 total beneficiaries, following criticism from the Institute for Public Policy Research that the programme has failed to deliver meaningful employment for fisheries workers affected by the Fishrot corruption scandal.
1 August 2026 · The Namibian →
Former Anti-Corruption Commission director general Paulus Noa has advised his successor, Bryan Eiseb, to uphold the rule of law and resist public and political pressure, cautioning that public opinion should never dictate investigative decisions and warning against entertaining personal, material, or political agendas.
22 July 2026 · New Era →
Acting prosecutor general Martha Imalwa has obtained a Prevention of Organised Crime Act property restraint order in respect of fugitive lawyer Marén de Klerk's assets valued at up to N$75.3 million, as well as assets valued at up to N$2.3 million in respect of the close corporation Moyo Estates. De Klerk, who left Namibia in January 2020 and is believed to be living in South Africa, is wanted in connection with the Fishrot fraud case involving alleged illegal allocation of Namibian fishing quotas.
20 July 2026 · The Namibian →
With Swapo's elective congress a little over a year away, veteran party leaders have called on the ruling party to strictly uphold its constitution, restore internal discipline, and refocus on ordinary Namibians' concerns. Former Cabinet minister Jerry Ekandjo cited the party's loss of its two-thirds majority in the National Assembly—now holding 51 seats while opposition parties collectively occupy 45—and urged the party to follow constitutional provisions, including filling the long-vacant vice president position.
20 July 2026 · New Era →
The High Court has postponed the Fishrot fraud, corruption and racketeering case—concerning alleged unlawful allocation of Namibian fishing quotas—to 19 October. Former attorney general Sacky Shanghala, one of ten charged, said a Supreme Court petition challenging the judge's refusal to step down from the case remains pending, and a related civil application by four of the accused is scheduled for hearing on 15 September.
16 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Members of Parliament have challenged the incoming Anti-Corruption Commission leadership to demonstrate independence and impartiality, with lawmakers warning that the institution's credibility depends on investigating corruption without fear or favour. Swapo MP Tobie Aupindi criticized the outgoing ACC leadership and alleged the commission had been weaponized to settle political scores and applied investigations selectively.
14 July 2026 · New Era →
More than 1,000 former Namibian fisheries workers have asked Icelandic prosecutors to recognise them as victims in criminal proceedings linked to the Fishrot corruption scandal involving Icelandic fishing company Samherji. The workers argue they suffered direct harm from alleged corrupt conduct between 2012 and 2019, including job losses, food and housing insecurity, school fee difficulties, debt accumulation, and psychological stress.
12 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Affirmative Repositioning MP Vaino Hangula backed the nomination of Bryan Eiseb as Anti-Corruption Commission director general and the extension of deputy director general Erna van der Merwe, but warned that public confidence in the ACC has eroded over two decades of unmet expectations, particularly following the Fishrot scandal, and pledged his party would subject the institution to close scrutiny.
10 July 2026 · The Namibian →
A High Court review application brought by former justice minister Sakeus Shanghala and 14 co-applicants against the Anti-Corruption Commission and other respondents has been declared ready for hearing. The parties proposed hearing dates in July or August 2026 and seek to have the entire Fishrot investigation declared unlawful.
10 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The Namibian public, media, and civil society have limited access to fisheries-related information including scientific reports, quota allocations, and compliance data, making it difficult to understand how marine resources are assessed and managed without a consolidated public platform.
7 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Judge Boas Usiku recused himself from hearing a wide-ranging application by four Fishrot fraud and corruption accused in the Windhoek High Court after determining that his friendship with ACC director general Paulus Noa could create a view of bias. The application, in which the accused seek to restrain the prosecutor general from continuing their criminal prosecution until their civil case is decided, was postponed to 9 July.
5 July 2026 · The Namibian →
The Namibian government has requested a temporary postponement of a civil case brought by ESJA Investments (a Samherji subsidiary) seeking N$162.6 million in funds related to the MFV Heinaste fishing vessel involved in the Fishrot scandal, citing witness safety concerns and stating the main witness should testify in the criminal matter first before the civil case proceeds.
29 June 2026 · Informanté →
Former Justice Minister Sackeus Shanghala and co-accused James Hatuikulipi have filed a Supreme Court petition seeking the removal of Judge Marelize du Plessis from their fisheries and corruption trial, after she dismissed their recusal application in March 2026. A lawyer for another accused has also indicated plans to apply for bail release, citing compromised fair trial rights and inadequate consultation facilities.
24 June 2026 · Informanté →
The Namibian editorial argues that senior officials—advisers, executive directors, chief executives and civil servants—have a duty to speak truth to power and not remain silent to stay close to authority, citing the upcoming transitions of the prosecutor general and Anti-Corruption Commission director general.
14 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Ninety One Namibia and Sanlam Allianz Namibia plan to combine their active asset management businesses, operating under the Ninety One Namibia brand with a 15-year term, though the deal awaits shareholder and regulatory approvals including from the Namibia Competition Commission.
11 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Iceland's finance minister attributed the Fishrot scandal to corruption in Namibia rather than Iceland, a comment an Icelandic journalist and former Transparency International Iceland director calls emotional escapism rooted in "Icelandic exceptionalism"—a delusional belief that Iceland is inherently uncorrupt and that corruption is merely a "foreign infection."
13 May 2026 · The Namibian →
Former Angolan fisheries minister Vitória de Barros Neto has denied responsibility for alleged misappropriation of around 300 million kwanzas in public funds from fish commercialisation in the common marine zone between Namibia and Angola during her 2012–2019 tenure. The trial, which began in December 2019, is not connected to Namibia's Fishrot scandal, though both involve fisheries-sector corruption around the same period.
11 May 2026 · The Namibian →