Two men and a minor appeared in the Ndiyona periodical court yesterday on charges of poaching of a giraffe they allegedly speared to death.
It appears the suspects slaughtered the beast with intent to eat its meat.
A periodical court is not a daily or weekly court, as it only convenes one week in a month. Ndiyona settlement is located 120 km east of Rundu.
The suspects Shipipa Shitemo, 22, Kangoro Servantius, 50, and a 17-year-old, who cannot be identified because he is under 18 years, were arrested at Cocoma village in the Ndiyona District of Ndiyona Constituency in Kavango East by the Protected Resources Unit members of the Namibian Police Force.
The three appeared before Magistrate Esmee Molefe while Vincent Nzanca prosecuted. Shitemo and Kangoro were given bail of N$500 while their teen co-accused was released on a warning, as he is a minor.
The case was remanded to July 16 for further police investigations. The value of the giraffe – if it was to be offered for trophy hunting, as it is in a conservancy – is estimated at N$200 000 and that would have benefited the community.
On April 22, four suspects also appeared in the Ndiyona periodical court on charges related to poaching, as they were found in possession of nine elephant tusks. The four suspects, Djami Kamana Joseph (38) – a Namibian, Ndhara Ngocho (34) and Sheks Chombo (30) – both Botswana nationals, and Ngambole Alberto (48) – an Angolan, appeared before Magistrate Barry Mufana while Albert Titus prosecuted.
The four were arrested at Kamutjionga village on the 21st of last month in Mukwe Constituency after a police search conducted in the area uncovered the nine tusks in the possession of the accused.
Possession of elephant tusks is prohibited and is prosecutable.
Namibia has in recent months seen an upsurge in poaching, particularly of black and white rhinos, and over the weekend two rhinos were slaughtered and their horns hacked off by poachers.