Bribery & corruptionCourts & justice

Two former Namibian ministers charged in the Fishrot fishing-quota corruption case still awaited a completed trial six years after their 2019 arrests

Confidence: Corroborated · 4 sourcesNamibia · Oct 12, 2026

Subject of this story

Bernhard Esau, Former Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources (Namibia)

Sacky Shanghala, Former Minister of Justice (Namibia)

Samherji

What happened

Former Fisheries Minister Bernhard Esau and former Justice Minister Sacky Shanghala were arrested in November 2019 in the 'Fishrot' case, in which the State alleges Icelandic company Samherji obtained Namibian fishing quotas through corrupt and fraudulent means; the accused face 42 counts including corruption, fraud and racketeering. No verdict has been reached and the accused are presumed innocent. A trial set for August 2025 was postponed after a late defense challenge to the presiding judge's appointment, and in January 2026 the court rejected further postponement requests and scheduled trial days for 9-20 March 2026. Columnists and press reports describe the long delays and their impact on former fishing-industry workers.

By the numbers (2)

● confirmed by a primary document · ○ reported

Figures

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Prosecutors link the accused in the Fishrot case, including former fisheries minister Bernhard Esau, to schemes involving at least N$150 million in kickbacks.$9.1M

Bernhard EsauStated as "at least" N$150 million; amount relates to the schemes alleged against the accused as a group.

1 source

News24prosecutors link the accused to schemes involving at least N$150 million in kickbacks

○

Prosecutors link the accused in the Fishrot case, including former justice minister Sacky Shanghala, to schemes involving at least N$150 million in kickbacks.$9.1M

Sacky ShanghalaStated as "at least" N$150 million; amount relates to the schemes alleged against the accused as a group.

1 source

News24prosecutors link the accused to schemes involving at least N$150 million in kickbacks

Sources (4)

The NamibianA trial scheduled for August 2025 was halted by a last-minute legal manoeuvre challenging all prior pre-trial rulings; research from the Institute for Public Policy Research shows nearly 9 in 10 former fisheries workers remain unemployed.

News24Fishrot: Inside Namibia and Angola's fishing scandal where ministers will go on trial - prosecutors link the accused to schemes involving at least N$150 million in kickbacks.

Corruption WatchJustice for Fishrot victims once more delayed, as the long-running corruption trial is postponed again.

allAfricaActing Judge Marilize du Plessis refused Shanghala's postponement application and set the trial to run from 9 to 20 March 2026.

Response

Bernhard Esau

No response by publication

Contacted — no response by publication.

Sacky Shanghala

No response by publication

Contacted — no response by publication.

Samherji

Not yet contacted

Not yet contacted for this story.

What happened next (0)

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