Namibia has reported 17 cases of wildlife crimes and 34 arrests during Operation Saving African Wildlife through Multilateral Assistance (SAMA), which was conducted between January and February.

Hosted by the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Customs Organisation (UNODC), Operation SAMA is the first Africa-focused initiative on wildlife trafficking.

Operation SAMA united 35 nations from East, West, Central, and Southern Africa in a concerted effort to combat the illicit wildlife trade. 

The Minister of Industrialization and Trade, Lucia Iipumbu, has introduced a relief programme to waive a staggering N$275 million in penalties accumulated by non-compliant businesses from 2012 to 2022.

The announcement comes after thorough consultations with key stakeholders, including the Office of the Attorney General and the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises.

The Bipa Annual Duty Penalty Waiver Programme aligns with the guidelines laid out in the Business and Intellectual Property Authority Act number 8 of 2016 and has received the nod from Cabinet.

A British-owned ground handling service provider at the Hosea Kutako International Airport, Menzies Aviation, has finally complied with a request from the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) to hand over cargo in its possession to the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRa) to release it to the owners.

This was confirmed by Dan Kamati, the NAC's spokesperson to nbc News.