Stiffer sentences for wildlife crimes
Cabinet last week approved proposed amendments to the Controlled Wildlife Products and Trade Act.
The amendments will increase fines and prison terms for the possession and trade of controlled wildlife products such as elephant tusks and rhino horns.
Information minister Tjekero Tweya on Friday announced the approval of the amendments to the Controlled Wildlife Products and Trade Act of 2008.
He said the cabinet had referred the amendment bill to the Cabinet Committee on Legislation for further scrutiny before its tabling in the National Assembly.
Approached for comment, environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said once the bill was passed, any foreigner convicted of trading in wildlife products, irrespective of whether they were sentenced, would be deported.
“They will not be allowed back into Namibia,” he said.
In an interview with Namibian Sun earlier this month, the minister had expressed concern about the dated law. At the time Shifeta said proposed fines would range from N$100 000 to N$25 million. Currently the maximum fine is N$200 000.
Shifeta said poachers easily paid the fines and then simply committed the same crimes again.
“The problem is that they just pay fines and continue their business. To them it is peanuts what they pay. For them it is business as usual - as if nothing happened.”
He reiterated that foreigners convicted of wildlife crimes should be deported immediately after serving their sentences. They should not be allowed back into the country to commit more crimes.
Shifeta said the business of poaching was like drug addiction. “It is very difficult to rehabilitate someone. A person involved in these activities will continue even after they were arrested because the payment is so high.”
He elaborated on the workings of poaching syndicates and said five known syndicates were currently operating in Namibia.
“These have tentacles and that is where we need to break them, by giving heavy sentences and fines. We need to harm them so that they find it difficult to start again.”
According to him the kingpins of these syndicates are from abroad and they recruit Namibian middlemen and footsoldiers to commit the poaching.
He said the ministry took wildlife crime very seriously and therefore all possible avenues would be exploited to bring those involved to book. During the interview he also said that it would be better to have a separate court just for wildlife cases. Prosecutors should be trained in the prosecution of wildlife crimes and magistrates should be made aware of the importance of such cases.
– Additional reporting by Nampa
STAFF REPORTER
The amendments will increase fines and prison terms for the possession and trade of controlled wildlife products such as elephant tusks and rhino horns.
Information minister Tjekero Tweya on Friday announced the approval of the amendments to the Controlled Wildlife Products and Trade Act of 2008.
He said the cabinet had referred the amendment bill to the Cabinet Committee on Legislation for further scrutiny before its tabling in the National Assembly.
Approached for comment, environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said once the bill was passed, any foreigner convicted of trading in wildlife products, irrespective of whether they were sentenced, would be deported.
“They will not be allowed back into Namibia,” he said.
In an interview with Namibian Sun earlier this month, the minister had expressed concern about the dated law. At the time Shifeta said proposed fines would range from N$100 000 to N$25 million. Currently the maximum fine is N$200 000.
Shifeta said poachers easily paid the fines and then simply committed the same crimes again.
“The problem is that they just pay fines and continue their business. To them it is peanuts what they pay. For them it is business as usual - as if nothing happened.”
He reiterated that foreigners convicted of wildlife crimes should be deported immediately after serving their sentences. They should not be allowed back into the country to commit more crimes.
Shifeta said the business of poaching was like drug addiction. “It is very difficult to rehabilitate someone. A person involved in these activities will continue even after they were arrested because the payment is so high.”
He elaborated on the workings of poaching syndicates and said five known syndicates were currently operating in Namibia.
“These have tentacles and that is where we need to break them, by giving heavy sentences and fines. We need to harm them so that they find it difficult to start again.”
According to him the kingpins of these syndicates are from abroad and they recruit Namibian middlemen and footsoldiers to commit the poaching.
He said the ministry took wildlife crime very seriously and therefore all possible avenues would be exploited to bring those involved to book. During the interview he also said that it would be better to have a separate court just for wildlife cases. Prosecutors should be trained in the prosecution of wildlife crimes and magistrates should be made aware of the importance of such cases.
– Additional reporting by Nampa
STAFF REPORTER
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article