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Namibian Wildlife Crimes article archive

This archive of published media articles about wildlife crime in Namibia aims to:

  • provide easy public access to published information and statistics
  • enable easy stakeholder access to articles
  • provide a comprehensive archive of wildlife crime reporting in Namibia

Public access to information is a vital component of ensuring community engagement in prevalent issues. Wildlife crime is one of the pressing environmental issues of our time.

Wildlife crime investigations are generally covert operations requiring utmost confidentiality to succeed. Investigations and prosecutions in complex cases may take months or even years to complete. For this reason, the information that can be released to the public without compromising cases is often limited. Nonetheless, the Namibian government strives to share as much information as possible with the public.

The Namibian media has welcomed this approach and regularly publishes statistics and feature articles on wildlife crime. These are entered into the database at regular intervals, creating a comprehensive archive of wildlife crime reporting in Namibia.

Explore your search results using the filter checkboxes, or amend your search or start a new search.

Displaying results 1 - 24 of 24
Thursday, 6 July 2023
Amakali M 2023. Poaching pastor appeals hefty sentence.

Self-proclaimed prophet and founder of the House of Joy Ministries Jackson Babi has turned to the High Court to appeal his 27 years imprisonment sentence for rhino poaching in Gobabis. In his notice of appeal, filed in the Windhoek High Court on Monday, Babi (33) is claiming the sentence of 27 years imprisonment imposed on him by Gobabis Regional Court magistrate Eden Iyambo is shockingly inappropriate. He claims Iyambo overemphasised the seriousness of the offences at the expense of the mitigating circumstances.

Monday, 12 September 2022
Amakali M 2022. 'Prophet' jailed for rhino poaching.

Self-proclaimed prophet and founder of the House of Joy Ministries Jackson Babi was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on Friday for rhino poaching. On Friday, Gobabis magistrate Eden Iyambo sentenced Babi when he found him guilty on 19 charges related to illegally hunting protected animals. On two counts of hunting of specially protected game, which had an alternative count of conspiracy to hunt, the court sentenced the "prophet" to three years of direct imprisonment for each count. However, on top of the sentence, the court ordered Babi to pay a fine of N$100 000 for each count…

Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Singh K 2022. KZN man gets 28-year prison sentence for poaching rhino in the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve.

Durban - A 45-year-old man convicted of rhino poaching was sentenced to 28 years in prison by the Empangeni Regional Court.

Tuesday, 15 June 2021
Amakali M 2021. 'Prophet' sees another day in custody.

An attempt by the defence of self-proclaimed prophet and founder of the House of Joy Ministries Jackson Babi to have his case provisionally withdrawn, fell flat when the court denied the request. Babi's lawyer Mbanga Siyomunji requested that his client's case be provisionally withdrawn and consequently have Babi released from custody while the State waits for the prosecutor general to pronounce herself in the matter. "The State has failed to inform the court that they failed twice to provide the decision. Now, two months later, the decision is still not available," said Siyomunji…

Friday, 23 April 2021
Amakali M 2021. Babi fate in PG's hands.

Windhoek Magistrate's Court has given a final remand for the prosecutor general Martha Imalwa to pronounce herself in the case of self-proclaimed prophet Jackson Babi. According to State prosecutor Rowan van Wyk, the PG's decision is not available; thus, magistrate Linus Samunzala postponed the case finally to 9 June.

Tuesday, 23 March 2021
Amakali M 2021. Preacher denied bail.

Self-proclaimed prophet and founder of the House of Joy Ministries Jackson Babi was denied bail by the Windhoek Magistrate's Court on Friday. "The applicant was capable of interfering with state witnesses while still behind bars and there is no determination of what he could do should he be released on bail," said magistrate Linus Samunzala.

Wednesday, 10 March 2021
Amakali M 2021. Babi awaits bail judgement.

The bail judgement into the case of self-proclaimed prophet and founder of the House of Joy Ministries, Jackson Babi, is scheduled to be delivered next week in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court. Magistrate Linus Samunzala will pronounce himself on whether Babi has satisfied the court that he should be granted bail pending the finalisation of his case. The court scheduled the matter to 19 March and remanded Babi in police custody. The "prophet" is scheduled to stand trial on bribery charges for allegedly offering investigating officers N$13 000 in an attempt to have him released on…

Tuesday, 26 January 2021
Amakali M 2021. Babi to be tried alone for bribery.

Prosecutor general Martha Imalwa has decided to only prosecute self-proclaimed preacher Jackson Babi for his alleged attempt to bribe investigating officers last year following his arrest on charges stemming from the possession of two rhino horns, a firearm and ammunition without a valid licence.

Friday, 4 December 2020
Singh K 2020. KZN wildlife under siege from illegal hunters.

KwaZulu-Natal wildlife is "under attack" by illegal hunters across the province says Blessed Gwala, the IFP spokesperson for community safety and liaison. Last week the carcasses of four dehorned rhinos were found in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park.

Tuesday, 17 November 2020
Amakali M 2020. Preacher takes bail fight to High Court.

Self-proclaimed prophet Jackson Babi has approached the High Court to appeal against a decision by the Windhoek Magistrate's Court to deny him bail. The flamboyant Babi claims magistrate Linus Samunzala misdirected himself in law and fact when he denied him bail. In September, the lower court refused to release Babi on bail, citing he failed to give convincing evidence to be released pending his trial. The court also ruled there was a likelihood Babi would interfere with the investigations.

Friday, 30 October 2020
Amakali M 2020. Cops complete bribery probe against preacher.

The police have concluded their investigations into the case of self-proclaimed preacher Jackson Babi, who stands accused of attempting to bribe officers of the law about three months ago. Babi appeared alongside his co-accused Ananias Ananias yesterday before magistrate Linus Samunzala in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court.

Friday, 18 September 2020
Amakali M 2020. 'Prophet' Babi, co-accused get bail hearing date.

The bail hearing of self-proclaimed preacher Jackson Babi and his co-accused Ananias Ananias is scheduled to take place next week in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court. The two are seeking bail in their second case where they face bribery charges for allegedly offering a N$13 000 bribe to investigation officers. Babi and Ananias made an appearance before magistrate Samunzala Samunzala yesterday where they were informed investigations are not yet finalised in their matter. 

Monday, 27 July 2020
Amakali M 2020. Incarcerated 'prophet' appeals for bail.

The self-proclaimed prophet Jackson Babi (30) and his co-accused Frizans Naululu Dumeni (25) have approached the court to be released on bail. They appeared before Magistrate Linus Samunzala in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Friday. The court gallery was packed to the rafters with Babi’s supporters. The court scheduled their bail hearing to 30 July, further issuing an order to have the two accused transferred from the Dordabis police station to the Windhoek police station for their bail hearing.

Wednesday, 7 June 2017
Tjihenuna T 2017. Suspected poachers remanded in custody.

The four suspected poachers who were arrested on Saturday following a shoot-out with the police at Khorixas will remain in custody after the court denied them bail.

Tuesday, 28 March 2017
Tjihenuna T 2017. Suspected Nam rhino horns seized in China.

A man suspected of having travelled from Namibia was arrested at the Hong Kong International Airport on Friday in connection with 12 rhino horns found in express air parcels.

Thursday, 26 January 2017
Tjihenuna T 2017. Three arrested with 13 elephant tusks.

Three suspects were arrested on Tuesday evening at Tjova village in Kavango East after being found in possession of 13 elephant tusks by a joint police and ministry of environment patrol. Police spokesperson Kauna Shikwambi yesterday said police arrested a Namibian and two Angolans, aged 27, 42 and 50, respectively, during an intelligence-led investigation.

Friday, 6 January 2017
Tjihenuna T 2017. Man shot by police said he was not poaching.

He was tending to his employer's cattle and not poaching, the suspected poacher shot and wounded by police on Wednesday at a farm in the Outjo district said yesterday.

Thursday, 5 January 2017
Tjihenuna T 2017. Police shoot suspected poacher.

A suspected poacher was shot and wounded by police yesterday at Farm Harrisy near Etosha National Park, bringing the number of those injured to two since December last year. Three others were shot dead at Bwabwata National Park last week following the invocation of the Criminal Procedure Act where police are instructed to shoot poachers in self-defence.

Thursday, 15 December 2016
Tjihenuna T, Haidula T 2016. Shifeta says poaching not a crisis.

The poaching of rhinos and elephants in Namibia is not a crisis because only about 1,2% are poached per year, said environment minister Pohamba Shifeta.

Monday, 12 December 2016
Tjihenuna T 2016. Six arrested in Etosha.

Six people found carrying rifles in the Etosha National Park last week were arrested after a wounded rhino was found in the area.

Friday, 25 November 2016
Tjihenuna T 2016. Chinese national arrested with 18 rhino horns.

A Chinese man was arrested on Wednesday in South Africa when he was found with 18 rhino horns worth R6,6 million which are suspected to have been smuggled from Namibia.

Friday, 10 July 2015
Tjihenuna T 2015. Government condemns Botswana for shooting Namibians.

Government yesterday condemned the random shooting of Namibian citizens suspected of being poachers at the Botswana border, saying the authorities in that country are too quick to pull the trigger.

Tuesday, 16 June 2015
Tjihenuna T 2015. Rhino carcass discovered at Omatendeka Conservancy.

Yet another black rhino was poached in the Omatendeka Conservancy in Southern Kunene over the weekend, bringing the total number of poached rhinos in the country to 69 this year. The rhino is the fifth to be poached in the same area within a couple of months. The Ministry of Environment and Tourism confirmed yesterday that five people were arrested in connection with the incident after they were discovered with two rhino horns in their possession.

Wednesday, 3 June 2015
Tjihenuna T 2015. 103 rhinos poached in the last 10 years.

Ninety-five black rhinos and eight white rhinos have been poached in Namibia since 2005, the ministry of environment and tourism revealed yesterday. Minister of environment Pohamba Shifeta said this, when he revealed the outcome of tests conducted on the latest rhino and elephant carcasses discovered since 2014. 
Shifeta said over the last 10 years, 294 black rhinos died of natural causes, while 95 others were poached and seven others were killed for trophy hunting.

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