Strong fences make good neighbours

Businessman David Kambwa Sheehama, who is under fire for shooting three lions this week, had benefited from a lucrative tender to erect a 90km-long security fence around Etosha National Park.

Sheehama has been criticised on social media platforms for killing three marauding lions that had escaped from Etosha, which he claimed had attacked his livestock at a cattle post in the Onandjera grazing area.

Sheehama yesterday confirmed that he had been given the tender to erect a game-proof fence around Etosha.

Namibian Sun has established that Kambwa Trading, owned by Sheehama, was granted a fencing contract amounting to N$2 million per kilometre in 2011.

Sheehama yesterday defended the tender allocation, saying the ministry was happy with his work.

“I was given a tender to maintain the Etosha fence for a distance of 90km over the Onandjera grazing area. Where I maintained is quality work and not even a springbok can escape.

“You can even ask the ministry. When I handed over the project they were happy,” he said.

Sheehama has been criticised for not conserving the country's wildlife, given the fact that he was awarded a tender to help protect wild animals from poachers.

He has also been slammed for openly boasting about the lion kills on social media.



Govt investigation

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism yesterday confirmed that it had launched an investigation into the recent spate of lion shootings in the Ongandjera area.

The ministry said the investigation would determine whether the hunts in the Omusati Region were legal and whether a criminal case must be opened.

In the last few weeks six lions have been killed by two farmers in the north.

Izak Smit, who is involved in reducing human-wildlife conflict, told Namibian Sun that the situation was getting out of hand and there seemed to be a “free for all”.

“The impression that is being created is one of mob justice where that we can come with our pitchforks and retaliate.”







He said the ministry must establish whether all the protocols and procedures were followed before these lions were shot.

It was also pointed out that the attention farmers who killed lions were receiving on social media seemed to result in more killings.



“I shoot a lion and I am a hero and my photo gets published in the newspaper,” said Smit.



He said the ministry should provide a full report on exactly how, when and what happened in the killing of all these lions and what procedures were followed.



Role players in the tourism industry have also condemned the shootings and said the ministry must find quicker solutions to the problem.



Meanwhile, the organisation Helping Exotic Animals has written a letter to the Office of the Prime Minister pleading for an end to the needless shooting of lions in Namibia.



This letter can be copied and sent by any individual who wishes to make an impact against the shootings, the organisation says.



Last week environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said that any protected wild animal that becomes problematic must first be reported to the ministry. Such application will then be approved or disapproved by the ministry. In the application the area, gender and age of the animal must be stated.



According to Shifeta if declared a problem animal the ministry will dispatch a team to shoot the animal.



However, in the case of immediate threat to life or property the animal can be shot. The person must be able to prove that it was self-defence. If proven otherwise, a case of illegal hunting will be opened. This counts for both communal and private land.



Shifeta issued a warning to farmers not to indulge in senseless killing of lions.



-Additional reporting by Ileni Nandjato