Marilize du Plessis

Also known as: Du Plessis · acting judge Marilize du Plessis · Judge Marilize du Plessis · High Court Judge Marilize du Plessis · Judge du Plessis · Liana du Plessis · Acting High Court Judge du Plessis · De Plessis · presiding judge

Acting High Court judge presiding over the Fishrot fraud and corruption trial, who rejected recusal applications from defendants in 2026.

Politics

Gustavo opposes Shanghala's attempt to remove judge from Fishrot case

The News

Ricardo Gustavo's legal team says they will "oppose vehemently" an application by former attorney general Sacky Shanghala and co-accused James Hatuikulipi to have High Court judge Marilize du Plessis step down from the Fishrot fraud and corruption trial. Shanghala claims Du Plessis showed bias through remarks suggesting the accused were using delaying tactics, but the state is also opposing the recusal application, with arguments scheduled for 9 March.

13 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 13 February

Gustavo opposes Shanghala's attempt to remove judge from Fishrot case
Ricardo Gustavo's legal team says they will "oppose vehemently" an application by former attorney general Sacky Shanghala and co-accused James Hatuikulipi to have High Court judge Marilize du Plessis step down from the Fishrot fraud and corruption trial. Shanghala claims Du Plessis showed bias through remarks suggesting the accused were using delaying tactics, but the state is also opposing the recusal application, with arguments scheduled for 9 March.
13 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 6 February

Accused seek judge's recusal in Fishrot corruption trial
Former attorney general Sacky Shanghala and co-accused James Hatuikulipi have filed an application asking acting judge Marilize du Plessis to step down from their Fishrot fraud, corruption and racketeering trial, alleging bias and partiality. This is the third recusal application in the case; two previous judges turned down similar requests.
6 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 5 February

Shanghala seeks removal of Acting Judge in Fishrot case
Former justice minister Sacky Shanghala has applied for Acting Judge Marilize du Plessis to recuse herself from presiding over the Fishrot matter, alleging bias and apprehension of partiality based on the Judge's statements and treatment of defence applications. The matter has been postponed to 11 February 2026, with a hearing on the recusal application scheduled for 9 March 2026.
5 February 2026 · New Era →

Friday 23 January

Judge finds Shanghala and co-accused delaying Fishrot trial
Acting judge Marilize du Plessis ruled that former justice minister Sacky Shanghala and two co-accused have been using a strategy to delay their Fishrot fraud, corruption and racketeering trial, which has been pending since October 2021 without witness testimony yet beginning. Du Plessis rejected their postponement applications and ordered the trial to continue, though she granted a brief postponement to allow defence representation time to prepare.
23 January 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 22 January

Fishrot corruption trial set to begin March 9, 2026
After nearly six years, the fishing quota corruption trial in which Namibian fisheries resources were allegedly stolen through deals with Icelandic company Samherji will begin on March 9, 2026. Acting Judge Marilize du Plessis rejected multiple postponement applications from former minister Sacky Shanghala and co-accused, ruling that lengthy delays in the civil review process and years of court proceedings weighed against further delay.
22 January 2026 · New Era →
Fishrot trial postponed to March 2026 pending appeals
High Court Judge Marilize du Plessis postponed the Fishrot trial to 9–20 March 2026 after defendants' unsuccessful bid for a longer postponement pending a collateral review against the Anti-Corruption Commission. Sackeus Shanghala indicated he will appeal the judge's refusal, challenging the ACC's authority to have investigated evidence under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act prior to 2023.
22 January 2026 · Informanté →

Wednesday 21 January

Man sentenced to life for stabbing estranged wife 27 times
A 38-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment by the High Court for murdering his estranged wife on 16 February 2024 in Rocky Crest, stabbing her 27 times with scissors and a knife after being served divorce papers. The judge noted the extreme violence and domestic setting as aggravating factors.
21 January 2026 · Informanté →
Shanghala challenges prosecutor fees as unfair trial issue
Former Justice Minister Sackeus Shanghala has criticized the state's decision to pay prosecutors N$1.5 million in the Fishrot corruption case while denying similar funding to defence counsel, arguing it violates fair trial principles and creates unequal arms between prosecution and defence. The High Court has postponed the matter to 21 January 2026 for a ruling on the remuneration dispute and whether the trial should be postponed.
21 January 2026 · Informanté →
Man sentenced to life for wife's murder in Windhoek
A High Court judge sentenced Marlo McNab to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife Helen Onesimus, whom he stabbed 27 times at her home in Windhoek in February 2024. The judge described the killing as "an act of unbridled and horrific violence" and noted the epidemic of gender-based violence in Namibia, while acknowledging McNab's plea of guilty and expressed remorse.
21 January 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 20 January

Windhoek man sentenced to life for wife's fatal stabbing
Robertho Marlo McNab, 38, received a life sentence for the murder of his estranged wife Dapeua Helen Onesmus, whom he stabbed 27 times in her Windhoek garage on 16 February 2024, two days after being served with divorce papers. Acting Judge Marilize du Plessis described the attack as "unbridled and horrific violence" and cited the presence of the couple's 14-year-old son in the house as an aggravating factor.
20 January 2026 · New Era →