On Friday 5th April 2024 members of the OtjiwarongoNeighbourhood Patrol Anti-Poaching Unit, Kyani Security Group and the Namibian Police Force apprehended five suspected poachers on the B1 road to Omaruru. The apprehended individuals were found with one unlicensed hunting rifle fitted with a silencer and ammunition, together with slaughtering tools and bloodied clothes and contraband.
The operation of the abovementioned entities were coordinated due to information that was received that a stud bull was slaughtered on the farm Niederungsfelde in the Kalkfeld District. It was verified that the said bull had a valuation of N$80 000 (Eighty Thousand Namibian Dollars). Naturally, the actual damage caused by slaughtering a stud bull cannot be calculated. After the suspects were detained and processed by the Namibian Police it was found that three of the suspects already have pending poaching and/or illegal hunting cases inOtavi, Omaruru and Otjiwarongo, clearly indicating that these suspects are habitual criminals.
Needless to say Namibian Farmers, especially during the past two years, have suffered substantial damages with a definite escalation in the number of incidents and the number of animals stolen or poached across the country and the situation has become endemic. These criminals are becoming more brazen with every incident, slaughtering more and more animals at each instance, and/or slaughtering animals with larger valuation and some animals, including the abovementioned stud bull, have even been slaughtered and left to rot in the "veld".
In the pursuit of fairness and justice it is imperative that these suspects be denied bail so that a clear example can be set for future instances of stock theft. It is time to protect our Namibian Farmers, Farming Communities and general food security in our Country. It is imperative to mention that, with verified information it has been established that the suspects are habitual transgressors and are not likely to desist with their illegal actions.
We therefore urge you to kindly sign this petition and circulate it to as many people as possible to oppose the bail application for these suspect