This archive of published media articles about wildlife crime in Namibia aims to:
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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The suspect is allegedly linked to a series of cases including murder, racketeering and rhino poaching committed in Mpumalanga. An alleged kingpin of a rhino poaching syndicate is due to appear in the Hoedspruit Periodical Court in Limpopo on Monday after he was arrested at the weekend. The 59-year-old man, who is alleged to be a kingpin of a rhino poaching syndicate that operates between Mpumalanga and Limpopo, was arrested on Saturday in the Mopani District of Limpopo during a joint intelligence operation conducted by the Provincial Stock Theft Unit, Hoedspruit police…
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SA_2023_05_Police nab alleged rhino poaching kingpin in Limpopo_The Citizen.pdf | 428.78 KB |
Government is working around the clock to fight wildlife crime and corruption, especially in the Kruger National Park, says Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister, Barbara Creecy.
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SA_2023_05_Work underway to fight wildlife crime_Bizzcommunity.pdf | 345.25 KB |
"There are conservation policies in the Ministry that deal with those illegal actions of poaching. Rhinos are protected by the Controlled Wildlife Products and Trade Act Nine (9) of 2008, which still contains penalties widely viewed as being woefully inadequate in light of the value of the illegal trade in animal products such as elephant tusks, rhino horn and pangolin scales", Muyunda stressed.
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NAM_2023_05_Killing of rhinos remains illegal_Windhoek Observer.pdf | 274.48 KB |
An alleged rhino poacher, who has been on the run from authorities since 2019, was rearrested in KaBokweni.
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SA_2023_05_Wanted rhino poaching suspect arrested in KaBokweni_Lowvelder.pdf | 283.48 KB |
Altesaam 15 renosters is vanjaar gestroop, teenoor 87 in 2022 en 45 in 2021. Die laaste renoster is tussen 1 en 28 April op 'n private plaas in die Grootfontein-omgewing gestroop. Die karkas is eers verlede week ontdek en die ondersoek dui daarop dat die dier twee keer met 'n jaggeweer geskiet is.
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NAM_Vyftien renosters vanjaar gestroop_Republikein.pdf | 365.73 KB |
NAM_2023_05_Fifteen rhinos poached this year_Republikein_Eng.pdf | 362.22 KB |
In diesem Jahr wurden bisher fünfzehn Nashörner gewildert, verglichen mit 77 im Jahr 2022 und 45 im Jahr 2021. Beim jüngsten Vorfall wurde ein Spitzmaulnashorn zwischen dem 1. und 28. April auf einer privaten Farm bei Grootfontein gewildert. Der Nashornkadaver wurde offenbar erst in der vergangenen Woche entdeckt. Untersuchungen deuten darauf hin, dass das Tier zweimal mit einem Jagdgewehr geschossen wurde. Der Sprecher des Umweltministeriums, Romeo Muyunda, bestätigte den Vorfall und erklärte, dass die Ermittlungen noch andauern und es noch keine Verhaftungen gegeben habe.
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NAM_2023_05_Fuenfzehn Nashoerner bisher Gewildert_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 338.01 KB |
NAM_2023_05_Fifteen rhinos poached so far_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 334.96 KB |
Cape Town - The Oudtshoorn stock theft and endangered species unit is investigating a case of illegal hunting of endangered species after a rhino horn was seized by police on the N2 near George on Wednesday. Following a high-speed pursuit with police, a car reportedly stopped just outside of George and dumped a package containing a rhino horn.
The Otjozondjupa police have launched an investigation into a poaching incident of a black rhino bull which was allegedly shot and killed on a private game farm near Otjituuo in the Grootfontein district.Namibian Police Force Unit Commander for Communication. The Otjozondjupa police have launched an investigation into a poaching incident of a black rhino bull which was allegedly shot and killed on a private game farm near Otjituuo in the Grootfontein district.
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NAM_2023_05_Rhino bull killed and dehorned by poachers near Otjituuo_Namibia News Digest.pdf | 225.66 KB |
George Herald's sister publication, Mossel Bay Advertiser, confirmed that it is the horn of one of the white rhinos at Botlierskop Private Game Reserve. The reserve is situated just outside Little Brak River. According to a source close to George Herald, the suspects were stopped at a roadblock between George and Wilderness where the rhino horn was found in their possession. The horn was confiscated but the suspects managed to flee from police. By the time of going to print on Wednesday morning, the suspects were still at large and
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SA_2023_05_Rhino poaching at local game reserve_George Herald.pdf | 441.9 KB |
The rhino poaching trial in which Wiseman Mageba and Dumisani Gwala are co-accused was today (Thursday) adjourned to July owing to the State prosecutor’s unavailability because of a family tragedy.
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SA_2023_05_Rhino poaching kingpin_Trial adjourned_accuseds bail condition waived_Zululand Observer.pdf | 194.54 KB |
Day three of the rhino poaching trial involving alleged 'kingpin' Dumisani Gwala and his co-accused Wiseman Mageba is under way at Mtubatuba Regional Court, following cross-examination of the State witness yesterday (Wednesday). Magistrate Anand Maharaj, presiding over the case, on Wednesday cautioned State witness - former SAPS investigating officer of the case Jean Pierre van zyl Roux - about speculating about allegations that Gwala had the 'police in his pocket'.
Wiseman Mageba and his co-accused Dumisani Gwala have pleaded not guilty to rhino
poaching allegations in a case which resumed at Mtubatuba Regional Court today
(Tuesday). The pair face a combined 12 charges relating to the alleged illegal purchase and possession
of rhino horn, resisting arrest, and attempted murder.
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SA_2023_05_Mtubatuba rhino poaching accused plead not guilty_Zululandobserver.pdf | 192.3 KB |
The State has asked that the four Chinese men found guilty of trying to smuggle 14 rhino horns and a leopard skin from Namibia should be sentenced to six years in prison.
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NAM_2016-09_State wants 6 years for Chinese smugglers_Namibian Sun.pdf | 90.88 KB |
Four Chinese citizens convicted of having tried to smuggle 14 rhinoceros horns and a leopard skin out of Namibia in March 2014 were sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment each at the end of their trial today.
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NAM_2016-09_Rhino horn smugglers get 14 years in prison_The Namibian.pdf | 754.09 KB |
Magistrate doubles up on State's request in rhino case. Li Xiaoliang, Li Zhibing and Pu Xuexin were each sentencef to 14 years imprisonment of which 30 months were suspended for 5 years. The so- called kingpin Wang Hui, also got 14 years of which 28 months was suspended for 5 years. The suspensions came with conditions.
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NAM_2016-09_Chinese smugglers sentenced_Namibian Sun.pdf | 70.71 KB |
Namibia could lose its entire rhinoceros population in the next 10 years if the rate at which poachers have been killing these endangered animals in recent years continues unchecked. Poachers have killed 201 rhinos in Namibia since 2011, and their crimes have not only had an environmental impact, but also an economic one.
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NAM_2016-09_Poaching could wipe out rhino population_The Namibian.pdf | 664.32 KB |
The poaching case of former Brave Warriors team medic Gerson Kandjii and five other accused on Friday was postponed to 27 February 2017 for plea and trial in the Okahao Magistrate's Court.
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NAM_2016-09_Rhino poaching case drags on_Namibian Sun.pdf | 59.47 KB |
Two of the five men arrested in Opuwo last year for being found in possession of rhino horns were on Friday sentenced to 11 years and six months’ imprisonment in the Opuwo Magistrate's Court.
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NAM_2016-09_Two of five rhino horn accused sentenced_Namibian Sun.pdf | 60.69 KB |
The evidence of the Chinese nationals who were arrested in Namibia’s biggest rhino horn smuggling case to date, was rejected by Magistrate Alexis Diergaardt as false and they were found guilty of the possession and export of controlled wildlife products. The landmark case, which has been dragging on for more than two years, finally came to an end on Friday when Diergaardt made her judgment at the Windhoek Regional Court in Katutura finding the four Chinese nationals guilty on two of the three counts they were charged with. Diergaardt said that she found the four men…
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NAM_2016-09_Chinese rhino smugglers guilty_Namibian Sun.pdf | 83.32 KB |
The discovery of a hoard of rhino horns and a leopard skin in two suitcases at Hosea Kutako International Airport in March 2014 led to the conviction of four Chinese citizens on two criminal charges in the Windhoek Regional Court on Friday.
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NAM_2016-09_Chinese men guilty over rhino horns in luggage_The Namibian.pdf | 610.48 KB |
Four Chinese citizens who were accused of having tried to smuggle a hoard of rhino horns and one leopard skin out of Namibia in March 2014 were found guilty on two charges in the Windhoek Regional Court today.
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NAM_2016-09_Chinese foursome convicted over rhino horns_The Namibian.pdf | 252.92 KB |
After a two-year investigation, John Grobler exposes the totem-based networks facilitating transnational rhino horn smuggling and defeating the criminal justice system’s pursuit of suspects.
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Oxpeckers_A mysterious dead hand driving Namibias poaching.pdf | 1.68 MB |
Three Zambians and a Namibian, the latter suspected to be a former policeman, were arrested last Friday after poaching a black rhino at the Erindi private game reserve near Omaruru.
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NAM_2016-09_Black rhino poached at Erindi 4 arrested_The Namibian.pdf | 256.12 KB |
A Chinese citizen who tried to send a piece of rhino horn out of Namibia in a parcel was sentenced to pay fines totalling N$40 000 or serve a two-year prison term yesterday.
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NAM_2016-09_Chinese man fined over rhino horn in parcel_The Namibian.pdf | 211.06 KB |