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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.

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Displaying results 1 - 20 of 20
Friday, 24 February 2023
Reiter C 2023. Wilderei gemeldet.

In der vergangenen Woche wurde ein 69-Jähriger im Dorf Iitatu in der Omusati Region im Besitz von zwei lebender Schildkröten ohne Genehmigung angetroffen. Der Mann wurde verhaftet und soll vor Gericht erscheinen. Am gleichen Tag sollen bekannte Verdächtige auf der Farm Moutonsvlei bei Klein Aub einer Ziege und einem Schaf die Kehle durchgeschnitten haben. Der Wert der Tiere mit mit 6 000 N$ angegeben. Sie wurden nicht festgenommen, da sie vom Tatort fliehen konnten.

Tuesday, 21 February 2023
Tendane S 2023. Crime in brief.

A hippopotamus valued at N$100 000 was killed at Sitinda farm in the Zambezi region on Saturday. According to the police's crime report, the hippo was shot for allegedly destroying the maize fields of the culprit on severa occasions. The suspect was in possession of a firearm and ammunition without a licence.

Wednesday, 15 February 2023
Amutenja H-M 2023. MEFT employee nabbed for poaching.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has identified its employee Otto Jan Uirab as the suspect in the poaching incident that occurred last week. He is charged alongside Nedbank employee, Harold Xarageb, and two other suspects Gaeb Franklin and Veldskoendraer Neely. The suspects were arrested on suspicion of illegally hunting a blue wildebeest in the Dan Viljoen Park near Windhoek last week. They have since appeared in the Katutura Magistrate’s court. A case has been opened with the Otjomuise Police station and the suspects were remanded in custody until the May 2023…

Monday, 13 February 2023
Francke R-L 2023. Police arrest man for possession of endangered species, including pangolins.

A Lesotho national is expected to appear in the Ganyesa Magistrate’s Court in the North West on Monday for possession of endangered species. During the operation, a search was conducted in a house at Tlakgameng, leading to the discovery of two pangolins, two dead rock pythons and two dead monkeys.

Monday, 13 February 2023
Reiter C 2023. Streifengnu im Kofferraum.

Ein Mitarbeiter des Umweltministeriums, zusammen mit drei anderen Verdächtigen, wurde am vergangenen Dienstag an einer Straßensperre zwischen Daan Viljoen und Windhoek verhaftet, nachdem diese mit einem wohlmöglich illegal gejagten Streifengnu im Auto vorgefunden wurden.

An Environment Ministry official, along with three other suspects, were arrested last Tuesday at a roadblock between Daan Viljoen and Windhoek after they were found with what appears to be an illegally hunted blue wildebeest in their car.

Friday, 10 February 2023
Amutenja H-M 2023. Ministry official arrested for poaching.

An official from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism was amongst three other suspects that were arrested on suspicion of illegally hunting a blue wildebeest in Dan Viljoen Park near Windhoek. "The incident happened on Tuesday at a roadblock between Dan Viljoen and Windhoek. The Ministry condemns the incident particularly, the alleged involvement of a staff member," said the ministry’s spokesperson Romeo Muyunda. They were arrested on Tuesday at the roadblock, west of Windhoek, leading to the game park.

Friday, 10 February 2023
Nakale A 2023. MET official nabbed for alleged poaching.

An environment and tourism official was arrested with three other men for illegally hunting a protected blue wildebeest in the Daan Viljoen game park, west of Windhoek. They were arrested on Tuesday at the roadblock, west of Windhoek, leading to the game park. The suspects, including the official in uniform, were nabbed with a whole carcass of the wildebeest in the boot of their sedan. Blue wildebeest are classified as protected and endangered species in Namibia. The official is said to be stationed at the park as an assistant game ranger for the environment ministry.

Thursday, 9 February 2023
Smit E 2023. MEFT-Beamter wegen angeblich Wilderei verhaftet.

Das Umweltministerium hat einen Vorfall verurteilt, bei dem einer seiner Mitarbeiter zusammen mit drei anderen Verdächtigen wegen des Verdachts der illegalen Jagd auf ein Streifengnu im Daan-Viljoen-Park in der Nähe von Windhoek festgenommen wurde. Der Sprecher des Ministeriums, Romeo Muyunda, sagte, der Vorfall habe sich am Dienstag an einer Straßensperre zwischen Daan Viljoen und Windhoek ereignet.

Thursday, 9 February 2023
Omar O 2023. Mozambique swells the ranks of law enforcement teams fighting wildlife crime.

Two hundred kilogrammes of shark fin were seized at Maputo International Airport two weeks ago, but the case is still under investigation and the Director general of Mozambique’s National Administration for Conservation Areas (ANAC), Celmira da Silva said he could not provide further details on the subject. Integrity Magazine tried to question who owned the cargo as well as its origin and final destination, but without success.

Thursday, 9 February 2023
Smit E 2023. MEFT official arrested for alleged poaching.

The environment ministry has condemned an incident in which one of its staff members was arrested, together with three other suspects, on suspicion of illegally hunting a blue wildebeest in the Daan Viljoen Park near Windhoek. The spokesperson of the ministry, Romeo Muyunda, said the incident occurred on Tuesday at a roadblock between Daan Viljoen and Windhoek.

Thursday, 9 February 2023
Smit E 2023. Natuurbeamte vas oor beweerde stroping.

'n Beampte van die ministerie van omgewing en toerisme en nóg drie verdagtes is in hegtenis geneem ná hulle vermoedelik 'n blouwildebees onwettig in die Daan Viljoenpark naby Windhoek gejag het. Die woordvoerder van die ministerie, Romeo Muyunda, sê die arrestasies het Dinsdag by die padblokkade tussen Daan Viljoen geskied.

Thursday, 9 February 2023
Nakashole P 2023. Environment ministry staff member arrested for alleged poaching.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has announced the arrest of a member of staff, alongside three other people, who allegedly hunted a blue wildebeest at Daan Viljoen.

Thursday, 22 September 2022
Kruger K 2022. Dausab se oor verlore dossier.

Die minister van justisie, me. Yvonne Dausab, het agterdog oor die verdwyning van 'n dossier in 'n saak waarin 'n Chinese burger van wildmisdaad beskuldig word, in die kiem gesmoor. Xuecheng is na bewering in 2014 vasgetrek met 'n jagluiperd- en luiperdvel in sy besit en is aangekla van die onwettige handel in vier olifanttande. Hy is maande later weer in hegtenis geneem nadat 'n ietermagovel, 'n luiperdkop en sewe sebravelle glo in sy besit by die China Town-inkoopkompleks in Windhoek gevind is.

Wednesday, 21 September 2022
Routh R 2022. PG explains missing dockets case.

Prosecutor general Martha Imalwa has responded to articles published in the New Era and The Namibian about the trial of a Chinese businessman, Hou Xue Cheng, and his Namibian co-accused Hamutenja Hamutenya, whose cases were struck from the court roll recently. The reason the charges on dealing in controlled wildlife products were dismissed was that neither the witnesses nor the docket was before the court. According to the PG, the information contained in the articles was incorrect.

Friday, 16 September 2022
Routh R 2022. Chinese national's docket disappears.

Regional Court Magistrate Leopoldt Hangalo yesterday struck the case of a Chinese businessman, Hou Xue Cheng and his Namibian co-accused Hamutenja Hamutenya on a count of dealing in controlled wildlife products, from the court roll. The reason was that no docket nor witnesses were before the court. The magistrate said the matter has been coming from 2014, and the State failed to get their affairs in order for it to start. He cancelled the bail of N$100 000 for Cheng and N$5 000 for Hamutenya, and ordered it to be refunded to the depositors.

Friday, 16 September 2022
Menges W 2022. Accused man off hook on wildlife charges.

A Chinese businessman who has been facing charges of dealing in controlled wildlife products over the past eight years left the Windhoek Magistrate's Court as a free man yesterday, after his case was struck from the court roll. The state alleged that the five men illegally dealt in four elephant tusks in Windhoek on 11 June 2014.

Monday, 12 September 2022
Truscott R 2022. As poachers poison wildlife, Zimbabwe finds an antidote in tougher laws.

Poisons like cyanide can be a deadly weapon for poachers, allowing them to kill dozens of animals without needing access to firearms or the backing of criminal syndicates. Wildlife poisoning is on the rise across Africa, targeting elephants as well as pushing endangered vultures toward extinction. A new study says Zimbabwe, which a decade ago witnessed some of the deadliest mass poisonings of elephants, has developed a sound basis for curbing poisonings by tightening laws to criminalize intent to use poison to kill wildlife.

Sunday, 11 September 2022
Dlamini N 2022. Bush meat poachers target Vic Falls wildlife.

Rising demand for bush meat during Covid-19 lockdowns has decimated wild animals that used to roam the streets of Zimbabwe’s prime resort town of Victoria Falls, conservationists say. The Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit (VFAPU) said animals such as warthogs that used to roam the city were now hard to come by because they were killed by poachers, who use snares. VFAPU said between January and April, it apprehended 59 suspected poachers around Victoria Falls. The anti-poaching unit removed 163 snares and another 309 snares were identified by Zambezi Horse Safaris.

Wednesday, 7 September 2022
2022. Poacher jailed, fined K242,000 for poaching.

The Itezhi Tezhi Magistrates Court has found a farmer guilty of unlawful possession of game meat and sentenced him to three years in prison. The details of count three are that Mafuta unlawfully hunted and killed a game animal, namely a warthog, without a hunting license on the same date, jointly and with others unknown.

Monday, 5 September 2022
2022. Anti-poaching drive receives jab in the arm.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) last week on Friday received equipment and vehicles to assist in the fight against poaching and the illegal wildlife trade as the country continues to battle with a surge in cases. The donation from the U.S. government which included two Toyota Landcruiser and two Hyundai Game Viewer Trucks as well as anti-poaching equipment all valued at N$9 million Namibia dollars was handed over to the MEFT officials by a senior leader delegation from the U.S. Africa Command.

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