Windhoek
The escalation in the poaching of rhinos, elephants and other valuable wild animals in the Etosha National Park and around the country’s parks has prompted the Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) to commit itself to join forces in the fight against the illegal hunting of game.
With the current efforts being made by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) to curb rhino poaching in the national parks, NWR has also been doing its part by sensitising all its employees working within the national parks about the repercussions they could face if they are found guilty of this crime.
NWR has enforced Minister of Environment and Tourism Pohamba Shifeta’s directive preventing environment and tourism and NWR staff from taking private firearms into the country’s national parks.
Zelna Hengari, the Managing Director of NWR, informed New Era yesterday that NWR has enforced the directive issued by Shifeta, adding, “It goes without saying that the poaching of rhinos is not a MET challenge but the whole country’s problem. If we as a nation do not do our utmost best to assist MET in achieving its goals, we will end up suffering as an industry when tourists hesitate visiting us. We are therefore fully behind the efforts by MET to stop rhino poaching within our parks.”
Hengari, under whose stewardship NWR scooped an international award, said NWR would continue to lend its hand towards MET in whichever way possible to bring to book any culprits that might be found guilty. “As a company that has a direct stake in maintaining a good image, NWR certainly wants to do its part in assisting wherever possible,” she said.
Mufaro Nesongano, the NWR manager for corporate communications and online media, said NWR is already sensitising its employees on the negative effects that poaching might have on the country’s tourism sector and how this could reflect to the outside world.
“Further we are currently registering our staff that have rifles/guns irrespective of [whether] they are private or official, so that we can have a record of who has guns and which guns are authorised to be used and it should be for a specific reason, which will be noted. It will be strictly enforced that no personnel shall be allowed to enter the Etosha National Park or NWR resorts with ammunitions,” stated Nesongano.