19
Dec
Niël Terblanché A recent case involving the arrest of a Tanzanian national and three Namibians has shed light on a disturbing trend of international poaching syndicates exploiting local communities in Namibia for illegal harvesting of endangered plant and animal species. This illicit trade is not only threatening the nation’s unique plant species but also endangering the livelihoods of its people. Diana Mashiku (29) from Tanzania, believed to be a plant-trafficking kingpin, and her three Namibian accomplices, Veisiruaije Tjavara (25), Jennifer Simataa (37), and Tjivinda Unatavi (31), were apprehended while in possession of 46 Adenia pechuelii plants, commonly known as Elephant’s…