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 Foot, which are endemic to Namibia.
The group faces charges related to illegally harvesting these plants from the wild without proper permits.
According to Romeo Muyunda, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), these criminal syndicates employ local individuals to carry out the poaching and trafficking operations.
The plants are then smuggled across international borders and sold to plant collectors for substantial sums of money. This exploitation of Namibian enablers is part of a growing trend that has seen a surge in wildlife crime over the last two years.
In response to this escalating problem, authorities have seized a total of 666 indigenous plants, excluding illegal timber, and have initiated 16 criminal cases, resulting in the arrest of 37 suspects.
Most of these arrests were made possible by intelligence-led investigations conducted by the Blue Rhino Task Team, a collaboration between various branches of the Namibian Police Force and the MEFT Investigations Unit.
Deputy Commissioner Paavo Iiyambo, Head of the Crime Investigation Division in the Kunene Region, urged local communities in Khorixas, Sesfontein, Puros, and Okondjombo, where these protected plant species are illegally harvested, to report any suspicious activities to the authorities.
Muyunda said the arrest of Diana Mashiku is seen as a crucial breakthrough for Namibian authorities in their ongoing efforts to disrupt these organized criminal syndicates.
She has been charged under the Prevention of Organized Crime Act and the Forest Act, both of which carry heavy penalties, including fines of up to N$1 billion and up to 100 years imprisonment for contravention of the Prevention of Organized Crime Act.
According to Muyunda, the Kunene Region, which has faced prolonged periods of drought, is ill-equipped to handle this new threat.
“Some community members, out of desperation, have resorted to illegal plant harvesting and transportation in exchange for meagre compensation offered by the criminal syndicates,” he said.
Communities in the Kunene Region have also been using plant species like Commiphora wildii for sustainable, fair-trade purposes. Many of these species hold traditional and cultural significance, apart from their biodiversity value.
Kaata Tjiningire, a plant harvester with the Kunene Conservancies Indigenous Natural Products Trust, expressed his concern about the new trend.
“It is very unfortunate that young people will be prosecuted for illegal harvesting. We need to create more awareness on indigenous natural plants,” he said.
Tjiningire stressed that these resources are crucial for the livelihoods of the local communities, and illegal harvesting threatens their well-being.
Local women have also voiced their anger, attending Mashiku’s bail hearing in large numbers, highlighting the community’s opposition to such illegal activities.
Elephant’s Foot is a unique plant species, which grows almost as wide as it is tall and is found only in rocky areas of north-western Namibia. Its oddly shaped appearance makes it highly sought after by international plant collectors, a demand that criminal syndicates are eager to meet.
Muyunda said that the replanting process for confiscated plants is unfortunately very difficult and expensive, with many plants likely to perish due to the damage incurred during their illegal harvest.
The Elephant’s Foot grows and reproduces slowly, making it particularly vulnerable to overharvesting. The current rate of harvest could threaten its existence, possibly even more severely than the poaching of elephants for ivory.
Teofilus Nghitila, Executive Director of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, expressed deep concern about the international criminal elements’ endangerment of rare plant and animal species.
“These criminals will not stop until our plants are all gone, and there is nothing left for Namibians to benefit from and enjoy. We simply cannot let that happen,” he said.
He urged officials all over Namibia to be vigilant and to apprehend perpetrators. He went on to call on the public to report any suspected wildlife crimes to the authorities.
