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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 - 12 of 12
Wednesday, 28 February 2024
2024. Livestock farmers lose N$14m to theft, drought.
Livestock and game farmers have lost more than N$14 million worth of animals to predation, theft, drought-related illnesses and disasters, as well as property damage by problem animals. According to the latest issue of the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) newsletter, a comprehensive analysis by the Livestock Producers' Organisation (LPO) reveals a staggering loss of N$14 399 440 stemming from only 1 248 reports from the organisation's members. "This represents a fraction of the total livestock sector.
Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Steynberg F 2024. Vee- en wildboere ly reuse-verliese.
'n Omvattende ontleding deur die Lewendehaweprodusenteorganisasie (LPO) toon verbysterende verliese van byna N$14,4 miljoen wat deur roofdiere, diefstal, droogte-verwante siektes en rampe asook probleemdiere in 2023 veroorsaak is. Hierdie astronomiese bedrag spruit uit slegs 1 248 voorvalle wat deur LPO-lede gerapporteer is, wat ‘n fraksie van die totale veesektor verteenwoordig, volgens die Namibië Landbou-unie (NLU). "Boere voel moedeloos omdat niks aan hul situasie gedoen word nie en daarom is die rapportering baie laag.
Friday, 9 February 2024
van der Walt I-M 2024. 'Gewoontestropers' vrygelaat.

Die twee mans wat tereggestaan het op aanklagte van stropery, Hermanus Kharugab en Ashley Eiseb, is ingevolge 'n uitspraak in 'n hersieningsaansoek in die hoërhof in Windhoek vrygelaat. Eiseb, wat volgens 'n lid van die Nossob Misdaadvoorkomingsforum, 'n "groot probleem is", en Kharugab is in November verlede jaar in hegtenis geneem ná hulle glo 'n motor gehuur het om wild in die Okahandja-omgewing te stroop. Regters Boas Usiku en Naomi Shivute het die skuldigbevindings en vonnisse teen beide mans tersyde gestel en beveel dat hulle uit aanhouding vrygelaat moet word.

Friday, 9 February 2024
van der Walt I-M 2024. Judges order release of alleged poachers.
Two men who stood trial on charges of poaching, Hermanus Kharugab and Ashley Eiseb, were released after a judgment review in the Windhoek High Court. Eiseb - who, according to a member of the Nossob Crime Prevention Forum, is a "big problem" - and Kharugab were arrested in November 2023 after they allegedly used a hired car to poach game in the Okahandja area. Judges Boas Usiku and Naomi Shivute set aside the convictions and sentences against both men and ordered their release from custody.
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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