Okapare fishermen: Quota recipients under govt probe
The Auditor-General’s office has been brought in to investigate alleged fraud involving companies that received fishing quotas under the Government Employment Redress Programme (GERP) in exchange for employing fishermen who have been on strike at Walvis Bay since 2015.
Labour Minister Wise Immanuel wrote to Fisheries Minister Inge Zaamwani on 15 September, requesting an investigation into claims that quota-holding companies were misreporting to government that the recruited fishermen were at work, while in reality they remained stationed at Kuisebmund Stadium in protest over employment conditions.
Employers are accused of withholding this information to continue receiving fishing quotas from government. Immanuel warned that paying salaries without services being rendered could constitute fraud or corruption – allegations now under review by the Auditor-General.
Fisheries Executive Director Teofelus Nghitila confirmed the investigation, saying: “The Government Employment Redress Programme is currently under audit by the Office of the Auditor-General. It is expected that the status of the employees will be part of the outcome.”
In his letter, Immanuel wrote: “The perpetuity of this practice, while employers report to government that employees are attending work, does not only border on misrepresentation but may also constitute potential corruption or fraud.”
Around 752 fishermen have been stationed at Kuisebmund Stadium since 2015, after being dismissed for participating in an illegal strike. The group includes former Namsov employees who lost their jobs when the company’s fishing quotas were cut during former Fisheries Minister Bernard Esau’s tenure – a move now linked to the Fishrot corruption scandal.
In 2020, government launched the redress programme to reintegrate these fishermen, allocating fishing quotas to companies on condition that they employ affected workers.
However, many fishermen later complained that instead of being deployed at sea, they were placed in land-based factory roles with salaries far below their previous earnings. They also accused the fisheries and labour ministries of failing to uphold commitments under the programme.
Okapare Fishermen chairperson Godfried Kuhanga confirmed that the group continues to receive salaries but argued this is due to broken promises by companies.
“It is true that we are not rendering services, but this is because the companies took quotas from government and then subcontracted the work to other parties instead of providing employment directly,” Kuhanga told Namibian Sun.
He added that the fishermen earn a basic salary of N$5 432 in land-based roles – significantly below the N$18 000 average they previously earned at sea.
Labour Minister Wise Immanuel wrote to Fisheries Minister Inge Zaamwani on 15 September, requesting an investigation into claims that quota-holding companies were misreporting to government that the recruited fishermen were at work, while in reality they remained stationed at Kuisebmund Stadium in protest over employment conditions.
Employers are accused of withholding this information to continue receiving fishing quotas from government. Immanuel warned that paying salaries without services being rendered could constitute fraud or corruption – allegations now under review by the Auditor-General.
Fisheries Executive Director Teofelus Nghitila confirmed the investigation, saying: “The Government Employment Redress Programme is currently under audit by the Office of the Auditor-General. It is expected that the status of the employees will be part of the outcome.”
In his letter, Immanuel wrote: “The perpetuity of this practice, while employers report to government that employees are attending work, does not only border on misrepresentation but may also constitute potential corruption or fraud.”
Around 752 fishermen have been stationed at Kuisebmund Stadium since 2015, after being dismissed for participating in an illegal strike. The group includes former Namsov employees who lost their jobs when the company’s fishing quotas were cut during former Fisheries Minister Bernard Esau’s tenure – a move now linked to the Fishrot corruption scandal.
In 2020, government launched the redress programme to reintegrate these fishermen, allocating fishing quotas to companies on condition that they employ affected workers.
However, many fishermen later complained that instead of being deployed at sea, they were placed in land-based factory roles with salaries far below their previous earnings. They also accused the fisheries and labour ministries of failing to uphold commitments under the programme.
Okapare Fishermen chairperson Godfried Kuhanga confirmed that the group continues to receive salaries but argued this is due to broken promises by companies.
“It is true that we are not rendering services, but this is because the companies took quotas from government and then subcontracted the work to other parties instead of providing employment directly,” Kuhanga told Namibian Sun.
He added that the fishermen earn a basic salary of N$5 432 in land-based roles – significantly below the N$18 000 average they previously earned at sea.
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