By: Vetondouua Tjivikua
22 elephants that were part of a group of 37 the tourism ministry sold in an auction arrived in the United Arab Emirates this weekend.
The government auctioned 37 elephants to local and international binders. 15 of the auctioned elephants were sold to local buyers.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda, said the 22 auctioned elephants that are part of the 37 auctioned by the government in a private sale to the United Arab Emirates arrived safely and are reported to be doing good except for one, which seems to be weak.
Muyunda said the ministry has been receiving condemnation and criticism for its decision to auction some elephants from areas where they are more exposed to human/elephant conflicts.
“We want to clarify that all auctioned elephants were sold to Namibian bidders. The export of elephants out of Namibia was not the ministry’s decision,” he said.
He further said once the successful bidders own the elephants, it is within their rights to use them in any way they choose as long as it is done within confinement of the ministry’s domestic and international laws. With the 22 exported elephants, he said that the importing or exporting state violated no law.
“All relevant permits, including CITES permits, were obtained in line with article III of the convention”, Muyunda said.
Muyunda said the ministry’s take on wildlife is part of the bigger picture of growing conservation in the country.
He said the ministry’s decision to auction elephants aligns with its mandate in article 95 of the Namibian constitution.
“The ministry has a huge responsibility and the pressure that comes with managing human-wildlife conflict to balance the rights of the people and the need for conservation”, he said.
Muyunda said from 2019 to 2021, Namibia recorded 960 cases of crop damages, of which elephants caused 923.
He further said that most people living in communal areas depend on small crop farming to survive, and they are affected severely by any disruption.
“Sadly, we also lost four people within the same period because of elephants, and the ministry has paid N$13.9 million to cater for those affected by the losses.
“We wish to reiterate further that the primary objective of the ministry with the auction is to reduce the numbers of elephants in those areas to give relief to the affected communities”, Muyunda said.
“The funds generated, on the other hand, will be invested in conserving our wildlife, particularly in the management of human-wildlife conflict and not necessarily to be pocketed by individuals as insinuated by our critics”.
Muyunda further called upon those who have possible solutions to reducing and managing human-wildlife conflict to make proposals to the ministry for consideration.
In an interview with Aljazeera, President Hage Geingob stated that Namibia is a capitalist country. Therefore, anyone owning elephants on their farm has the right to sell them, “but the government controls them.”
On the criticism Namibia has faced from animal rights groups for selling off the elephants, Geingob said there are no wild animals in Europe, yet Europeans speak on Namibia’s wildlife policies.
“They don’t have lions and elephants in their country, but they want to come here and teach people who have preserved those resources”, Geingob said.
