By: Annakleta Haikera
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism confiscated 3,556 illegally harvested planks in the Kavango East and Kavango West Regions between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026 as part of their efforts to curb illegal logging and protect Namibia’s forests.
Kavango East and West Chief Forester Jonas Mwiikinghi said the ministry also issued 14 admission of guilt fines, while six court cases were opened against individuals allegedly involved in forestry-related offences during the reporting period.
Mwiikinghi said the Ministry is simply enforcing the Forestry Act and protecting the country’s forest resources from illegal exploitation.
He urged members of the public to refrain from harvesting, transporting or trading timber products without the required permits, warning that offenders face prosecution, fines and confiscation of forest products.
His remarks come amid growing concerns raised by residents of Ncaute, who recently alleged that an individual authorised to collect logs cleared by the Northern Regional Electricity Distributor (NORED) had gone beyond the approved area and started cutting down live timber trees.
Speaking to The Villager Newspaper, Ncaute Village Development Committee chairperson Kanyetu Herbert said residents were unhappy with the arrangement, claiming the individual had not only collected the logs left after electricity servitude clearing but had also allegedly cut down nearly 100 timber trees.
Herbert further alleged that if the individual had permission from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, the approval should have been limited to collecting the already felled logs and not cutting additional trees.
He called on the ministry to investigate the matter and hold anyone found guilty accountable.
Mwiikinghi encouraged communities to report any suspected illegal harvesting, transportation or trading of timber to the nearest forestry office or law enforcement authorities so that investigations can be conducted.
According to the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, illegal timber harvesting has remained a major challenge in the Kavango East and Kavango West regions, where valuable hardwood species such as mukwa, rosewood and kiaat are highly sought after for local and international markets.
Despite a timber harvesting moratorium introduced in 2018, illegal logging and cross-border timber trafficking continue to pose a threat to the regions’ forest resources.
The Ministry has indicated that it has intensified patrols, roadblocks and inspections to curb the illegal timber trade, resulting in the confiscation of timber, equipment and vehicles used in forestry offences.
The Ministry’s 2021/22 Annual Report records the confiscation of a mobile sawmill and a tractor linked to illegal timber harvesting in the Kapinga Kamwalye Conservancy in Kavango East.
More recently, in 2022, forestry officials confiscated about 4,000 illegally harvested planks and a timber-cutting machine in Kavango West, leading to the arrest of two suspects.
Mwiikinghi also renewed his appeal for residents to help prevent veld fires during the dry season, warning that uncontrolled fires continue to threaten forests, wildlife, grazing land and livelihoods.
He urged farmers, travellers and members of the public not to start unnecessary fires, avoid throwing away lit cigarette butts, and ensure all cooking or warming fires are completely extinguished before leaving an area.
Mwiikinghi stressed that protecting Namibia’s forests is a shared responsibility and called on communities to work closely with forestry officials to safeguard the country’s natural resources for future generations.
annakleta@eaglefm.com.na
