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Police have arrested a suspected poacher for allegedly poisoning over 100 elephants using cyanide at Hwange National Park. Tony Maphosa, who has been on the run since 2013, allegedly poisoned water points and salt pans with cyanide resulting in the death of more than 100 elephants. Maphosa was arrested in the national park on Wednesday following a tip off. An anti-poaching team comprising rangers from Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and police recovered two pieces of ivory from him. Zimparks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo confirmed the arrest.

A Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority ranger has been arrested on suspicion of being responsible for the shooting of the three lions that were found without heads and paws in Hwange National Park last week. Hali Mabuya (39) who was working at Mtshibi Camp in Hwange National Park was found with a Point 458 service rifle that was allegedly used in the callous killing of the three big cats and 52 live rounds of ammunition. About 30 of the rounds had not been issued to him by the employer.

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.

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…

Two Victoria Falls men, one of them a neighbourhood watch committee (NWC) member, have been fined $6 000 each for trapping animals with wire snares.

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…

Among the items seized from the suspects are four elephant tusks, two rhino horns, one live pangolin, a giraffe skin and a pangolin skin.

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.

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.

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…

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism recorded fewer incidents of wildlife poaching and maintained a high number of arrests for wildlife crime in 2020, minister Pohamba Shifeta says.

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.

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.

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.

Two villagers from Binga who were caught trying to sell a live pangolin in Zambia have been sentenced to a mandatory five years in jail each in the neighbouring country.

Two villagers from Binga who were caught trying to sell a live pangolin in Zambia have been sentenced to a mandatory five years in jail each in the neighbouring country. Ephrain Mugande (35) and Simple Mugande (32) both of Manjolo Village under Chief Sikalenge illegally hunted the pangolin in Chizarira National Park on the boundary of Binga and Gokwe before crossing the Zambezi River with it to Sinazongwe town in Zambia with the intention to sell it.

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. 

Notorious Congolese poacher Mobanza Mobembo Gérard, who is said to have poached some 500 elephants in the Republic of Congo, was last month sentenced to a 30-year jail term in an unprecedented wildlife crime conviction in that country.

Two villagers from Binga have been arrested in Zambia after they were found in possession of a live pangolin they allegedly intended to sell in the neighbouring country.

More than half of 363 suspects arrested for animal poaching or trafficking in 2020 were apprehended for crimes involving high-value animal species. This includes rhino, elephant and pangolin, according to the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.

The Namibian Police successfully arrested four suspected pangolin traffickers in a first-of-its-kind cooperation. This in partnership with US law enforcement through the US embassy in Windhoek. 
A statement issued by the embassy yesterday said information received by their investigations office in Pretoria was passed on to local authorities to facilitate the successful arrest of the suspects.

Five suspects were arrested last week for contravening the Controlled Wildlife Products and Trade Act after they were allegedly found in possession of lion and leopard skins.

A 53-year-old villager from Dete in Matabeleland North has appeared in court for unlawful possession of four elephant tusks.

A 53-year-old villager from Dete in Matabeleland North has appeared in court for unlawful possession of four elephant tusks. Similo Vundla of Mambanje village under Chief Nekatambe was arrested by an anti-poaching team in March.

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.

Namibia has recorded a drastic drop in rhino and elephant poaching cases in the past three years because of improved response mechanisms, the government said yesterday. Minister of environment Pohamba Shifeta said the country has seen a reduction in rhino poaching numbers from 78 cases in 2018, 49 in 2019 and 17 so far this year.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism today received a donation of a vehicle and vetenary drugs for the ministry's Canine Unit, aimed at supporting anti-poaching efforts. The two donations were made by Standard Bank and Swavet, MDS Animal Health and the Rhino Park Private Hospital, at a handover ceremony hosted in Windhoek today.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has allocated 36% of its budget to wildlife and protected area management. This was announced by minister of environment, forestry and tourism Pohamba Shifeta during his budget motivation in the National Assembly on Thursday.

The report, which is jointly compiled by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism's intelligence and investigations unit and the protected resources division of the Namibian Police, detailed that the seven cases saw the arrest of 16 suspects. All those apprehended are Namibian nationals. Of those arrested, 11 were in connection with rhino poaching or trafficking, two in connection with elephant poaching or trafficking, two for the hunting of giraffe, and one for contravening the Arms and Ammunition Act. Among the wildlife products seized were six rhino…

Football Club player Craven Banda has been arrested after he was allegedly found with eight raw elephant tusks.

Arrests for wildlife crime involving high-value species like elephants, rhinos and pangolins, increased by 36% in 2019 compared to the year before.

The ministry of environment says its anti-poaching activities will not be hindered by the rapidly spreading coronavirus, which has forced many countries, Namibia included, into a lockdown.

Four elephants were found dead, three of them without tusks in Woodlands Farm resettlement area on Monday.

Police reservists at Karibib intercepted a group of poachers, who had killed two oryx at Farm Albrechtshohe, but were only able to apprehend one of the four suspects.

LAW enforcement agents last week cracked down on six individuals who were found in possession of pangolin skin.

The Namibian Police last week seized an array of wildlife products comprising elephant tusks, kudu horns and hides, civet skin and warthog carcasses, amongst others.

Two men were arrested for being found in possession of 100 pieces of ivory, a summary of wildlife crime statistics from 30 September to 6 October details.

A 40-year-old suspected rhino poacher exchanged gunfire with a team of 15 Namibian Police officers and members of the Namibian Defence Force for nearly two hours on a farm outside Otavi on Sunday.

Government is tightening the noose on wildlife crime syndicates as the country's flora and fauna increasingly become endangered.

A Hwange man and his son have been arrested for poaching after they were allegedly caught trapping animals and birds at the edge of Hwange National Park. Smart Shoko (48) and Ferdinand Shoko (26) both of Number F98 Madumabisa were found in possession of four impala carcasses, a baboon carcass and 79 fowl birds when they were ambushed by an anti-poaching unit in Bumbusi area outside Hwange town on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism says intensified efforts against poaching and other wildlife crimes are bearing results as law-enforcement agencies continue to wrangle poaching suspects.