Fishrot accused Tamson Hatuikulipi’s N$4.5 million Windhoek mansion falls into ruin

A N$4.5 Million Windhoek house, owned by Fishrot accused Tamson ‘Fitty’ Hatuikulipi, in the upmarket Ausblick neighbourhood is falling apart.

Hatuikulipi, who has a property portfolio of around N$40 million across the country, was arrested in November 2019 as part of the Fishrot corruption scandal.

Before his arrest, he was constructing a house at Ausblick, a few kilometres away from State House in Windhoek.

However, the construction of the three-floor house was never completed.

And now, some of the supporting poles holding the third floor of the house have been stolen, causing part of the second floor and a wall to collapse.

Building materials are scattered around the property, while a swimming pool inside the house has also been damaged.

Earlier this month, when The Namibian reporters visited the house, they found a man who identifies himself as Maseva.

He had created a makeshift living space inside the unfinished structure, including a bed and a traditional cooking stove set up in one of the rooms.

“I have been instructed to stay here. I am guarding some building materials from being stolen,” Maseva says.

The court-appointed curators responsible for overseeing the property on behalf of the state say they have no knowledge of Maseva’s occupation of the house and have yet to make a decision regarding its future.

“I have spoken to Fitty about the house and we are yet to discuss the way forward, taking into consideration the property value,” says Harald Hecht, one of the curators appointed by the court to oversee the property on behalf of the state.

A court restraining order issued in 2020, months after Hatuikulipi’s arrest, says: “Assets belonging to the accused may not be dealt with by anybody, they must be preserved and have been placed under the control of curators.”

According to the deeds office, the house is owned by Leobeer Estates Fifteen CC.

The Business and Intellectual Property Authority says the company is 100% owned by Hatuikulipi.

Leobeer Estates Fifteen CC does not appear in the 2020 court restraint order, nor does the property where the house stands.

Despite the property not being mentioned in the 2020 court restraint order, it is still expected to be restrained because the order covers all properties owned by the accused before or after the restraint order was granted.

The three-floor structure was valued at N$4.5 million by Hatuikulipi in his bail affidavit filed in 2020.
The curators say the assumed valuation from Hatuikulipi is justifiable and is realistic.

“It’s not that unrealistic because the house is a concrete structure and in a good location,” Hecht says.

Records from the deeds office show that the land alone was bought for N$800 000 in 2011.

According to Hecht, the plot alone could now be worth approximately N$1.5 million.

Part of the curators’ work is to sell properties to prevent the assets from losing value, and they are now considering possible actions to preserve the value of the house.

The curators say there is no access control at the moment because the house is currently incomplete.

Hatuikulipi’s assets were frozen by a 2020 court property restraint order because of the Fishrot case, and the restraint order will remain in place until his pending criminal trial in the Windhoek High Court is concluded.

Media reports indicate that Hatuikulipi and his wife were previously dragged to court in 2023 over unpaid building materials during the construction of this house.

After marrying Esau’s daughter, Ndapandula, in 2011, Hatuikulipi bought at least 15 properties in Namibia for N$40 million between 2014 and 2019.

The couple’s 2011 prenuptial contract shows they are married out of community of property.

In a document seen by The Namibian, Hatuikulipi declared in 2011 that he owned several properties: one at Cimbebasia in Windhoek valued at around N$1.5 million and another at Walvis Bay valued at N$650 000.

The rest of his assets were vehicles: a N$800 000 Mercedes C63 AMG, a 2011 model Golf 6 GTI worth N$360 000 and a 2005 Toyota Hilux valued at N$160 000.

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