Search results

Two Zimbabwean nationals and their South African accomplice have each been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to a foiled rhino poaching operation in South Africa’s Limpopo province. The trio - Kholwani Mwembe (40) and Emmanuel Marombedze (36), both Zimbabwean, and Stephen Tshoeu (49), a South African - were arrested in March 2024 in the Steilloop following a joint sting operation involving police, SANParks officials and private security personnel.

The battle between mining and conservation tourism rages on in the dry rocky plains of the Sorris Sorris Conservation Area, the High Court in Windhoek and in the boardroom of the Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC). At stake are promising tin deposits that could mean big bucks from increasing global demand, as opposed to preserving the natural beauty of the area where the endangered black rhinos roam. Community-driven tourism and their private-sector partners strive to keep their symbiotic relationship with the rhinos alive. "Get rid of us and the rhinos are gone with the…

A group of highly endangered black rhinos is protected until 6 March to be peacefully protected by the conservation areas - Sorris Sorris, Uibasen Twyfelfontein and Doro ! Nawas - to walk. Then the court dispute will proceed to determine whether mining operations may continue in this area. Acting High Court Judge Anne-Doris Hans-Kaumbi ordered on Tuesday that the trial over planned open-pit tin mines in the area will not proceed until March. Until then, interdicts against further development of any new mining operations in the area remain in force.

Fifteen people accused of financial crimes related to rhino poaching briefly appeared in the Nelspruit Commercial Crimes Court on Monday. Among the accused were two former field rangers and some of their relatives. While the majority of the respondents appear to be from a humble background, almost all of them are represented by private advocates. Although the State was ready to commence with trial proceedings, the matter was provisionally postponed to February 27 for possible pretrial conference.

Four days of court transcriptions seem be missing in the trial of alleged rhino poaching kingpin Joseph Nyalungu and his three remaining co-accused, Claude Lubisi, Aretha Mhlanga and Rachel Qwebana. This emerged as the quartet of former police officers briefly appeared in the Mpumalanga High Court this morning, January 17. Their appearance follows a postponement late last year to settle financial instructions in a trial that commenced more than three years ago, in September 2021.

While visitors to the Kruger Park were enjoying their peaceful festive season bush breaks, poachers were quietly mowing down rhinos within the Intensive Protection Zone. A staggering 27% of all rhinos poached in the Kruger National Park last year is understood to have been slaughtered in December. Three of these were slaughtered for their horns around Christmas, and another at New Year’s Eve, leaving two young calves orphaned.

National Botanical Garden curator Leevi Nanyeni has called on Namibians to support the fight against the growing trend of poaching of vulnerable and indigenous plants. Namibia is home to some of the world's most unique plant species, all categorised, catalogued and preserved at the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) in the capital. "These days, we are increasingly dealing with plant poaching," Nanyeni said. "Plant poaching has become a tendency. I am already aware of up to ten registered cases of it – just between 2019 and 2023.

Die Nasionale Botaniese Tuin se kurator, Leevi Nanyeni, het 'n beroep op Namibiërs gedoen om die stryd teen die toenemende stropery van inheemse en kwesbare plante te ondersteun. Namibië huisves van die wêreld se mees unieke plantspesies, wat almal by die Nasionale Botaniese Navorsingsinstituut (NBRI) in die hoofstad gekategoriseer, gekatalogiseer en bewaar word. Nanyeni het kommer uitgespreek oor die groeiende tendens van plantstropery.

Poaching syndicates have resurfaced at the Sentinel-Limpopo Safaris, about 78km west of Beitbridge Town where they are wantonly killing wild animals and derailing efforts of revamping the tourism industry after a Covid-19 hiatus. In some instances, they are unselectively killing even pregnant game and use donkeys as means of transport. It is also understood that the continued poaching activities have become a threat to tourism within the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conversation Area (TFCA). The mega safari land is jointly owned by Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana.

Two elephants are suspected to have been killed by poisoning by poachers after they were found dead in the Sentinel Safaris area which is part of Zimbabwe’s component of the Greater Mapungubwe Trans-frontier Conservation Area (GMTCA). The mega-park is made up of communal lands and national parks from Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

A 35-year-old Zimbabwean and a Chinese man (28) who were recently arrested by South Africa's organised crime unit, the Hawks for illegal possession of dried Abalone worth nearly R10 million are set to make a formal bail application tomorrow at the Atlantis Magistrates' Court, in Western Cape province . Lawrence Muroma and Qing Quan Feng were found in possession of 70 boxes dried abalone on May 16.

A suspected poacher was killed while his accomplice escaped following a shootout with game rangers on Wednesday at Bubye Valley Conservancy, some 60km west of Beitbridge town. The two men allegedly killed a male lion, before rangers caught up with them while in the process of killing a black rhinoceros.