By: Annakleta Haikera
The Kavango West and East Chief Forester, Jonas Mwiikinghi, revealed to The Villager on Wednesday that between April and December 2025, authorities confiscated about 3,230 illegally harvested timber planks in the two Kavango regions.
Mwiikinghi added that during the same period, 11 suspects were found guilty and fined. He also noted that as of January this year, no illegal timber planks had been confiscated.
Mwiikinghi said illegal timber harvesting in the Kavango regions involves both local and external actors, with most of the physical cutting carried out by Namibian nationals, often within small-scale farming units where landowners illegally authorise logging activities.
He explained that many locals engage in illegal harvesting due to high unemployment and the lucrative value of hardwood, often cutting timber under contract from external buyers. While locals usually fell the trees, much of the timber is destined for markets outside the Kavango regions.
According to Mwiikinghi, some of the timber is transported to South Africa, while other operations involve foreign nationals, particularly from Asia, who are linked to organised timber syndicates. He noted, however, that not all those involved are foreigners, as some Namibians are also actively targeting external markets.
Mwiikinghi further revealed that authorities have handled about nine court cases related to illegal logging across different areas in the two regions, most of them linked to small-scale farming units.
Although he was unable to provide exact figures covering a longer period, he said records showed that a significant number of illegal timber planks had been confiscated over time. He warned that illegal timber harvesting has a negative impact on community forests, land resources, and wildlife, stressing that land allocated to small-scale farmers must be protected.
Mwiikinghi said several of these illegal activities occur because landowners allow unauthorised logging on their land, often citing slow permit processes or poverty reasons, which he said do not justify breaking the law.
Addressing claims that the Ministry of Forestry is depriving local wood sellers of their livelihoods, Mwiikinghi dismissed the allegations, saying firewood harvesting has never been banned.
He clarified that villagers are only required to follow simple procedures, including obtaining a consent letter from the village headman, who is the custodian of communal land. Once consent is granted and identification is provided, harvesting small quantities of firewood remains legal.
“The issue is not about denying people income, but about ensuring sustainability and adherence to the law,” Mwiikinghi clarified.
However, some local residents say the process of obtaining consent letters remains a challenge.
Johannes Mudiiu, a resident of Ndama, told The Villager that some areas required long travelling distances to reach their headmen.
“In some cases, the headman stays very far from where people live. You may need transport money just to go and ask for a consent letter,” he said, adding that this is difficult for elderly people and those without steady income.
Others argue that while forest protection is important, selling small quantities of wood is their only means of survival.
Maria Sikongo, a mother of four from the Kaisosi informal settlement, said firewood sales help her put food on the table. “We are not doing this to destroy the forest. We are doing it because we need to survive. If we don’t sell wood, our children won’t eat,” she indicated.
Meanwhile, Petrus Kandjimi, another resident, said authorities should consider bringing services closer to communities. He suggested that forestry officials could work more closely with headmen or conduct outreach visits to villages.
“If the process was easier and closer to us, fewer people would risk cutting wood illegally,” he said, calling for a balance between protecting natural resources and supporting rural livelihoods.
