Wesheltonj, thank you for posting some of our website pages. However, you missed the introductory page, which outlines the fundamental issue with the accusations made. We had no involvement in the cull. Unfortunately, we have been unfairly maligned across the internet, resulting in death threats directed at me and my staff.
I am not here to defend MEFT, as they have made it clear what happened and their involvement in yet another lion cull in the Kunene – one of many routine occurrences in the area. If Mr. Smit is convinced his story is accurate, I am confident that he will take MEFT to court and MEFT is more than capable of addressing the accusations under oath.
Unfortunately, it seems activists would rather try their case in the court of public opinion, where there are no consequences for dishonesty and distortion. The more controversy they generate, the more donations pour in. This practice even has a name – Conservation for Profit.
It is a shame that these activists do not invest their donations and time towards real conservation work. They seem content to hide behind their keyboards lobbying baseless accusations. There is a lot of good work going on in the Kunene and a lot of NGOs, volunteers, investors, and conservancy members who are making a difference. That should be celebrated, not this nonsense.
Thanks
WildVeld Safaris (PTY) LTD
For Immediate Release
On or about October 12, 2023, Mr. Isak Smit of the Voluntary Association Desert Lions Human Relations Aid (DeLHRA) released a document making frivolous and malicious claims that WildVeld Safaris of Namibia, in conjunction with the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT), engaged in an illegal hunt resulting in the culling of a collared lion. Not only is this allegation incorrect, but it has also caused great harm to an innocent organization, its employees, and the Namibian conservancies named in Mr. Smit’s reckless document.
To correct Mr. Smit’s wild accusations, WildVeld Safaris is a not-for-profit management company working with numerous conservancies in the Kunene Region. Our mission is to assist in the management of sustainable hunting leases for the benefit of our community partners. We help manage the unrightful and legal hunting leases with the government. Additionally, WildVeld Safaris funds and manages a community-based game guard program within our partner communities to reduce illegal poaching and Human-Wildlife Conflict events. To date, we have invested more than N$7.5 million in that effort.
For clarification, we are a management company only. Accordingly, WildVeld Safaris does not conduct hunting activities whatsoever. We do not market or sell hunts to Namibian or foreign clients, we do not collect or handle client payments for hunts, or work or participate with MEFT personnel to cull wildlife. To this point, our personnel were not involved in any way in a MEFT culling hunt, regardless of Mr. Smit’s claims.
Of course, we could have explained all this if only Mr. Smit had bothered to contact us. But instead, he chose to push a false report without validating any facts. We can only surmise that this was intended as a fundraising scheme and to maximize the negative impact on our organization and our partner conservancies. This is not the first time activists have fabricated news for financial gain. Regardless of the motivation, Mr. Smit acted in an unprofessional and negligent manner.
On October 18, 2023, MEFT released a public announcement denouncing Mr. Smit’s story, yet he continued his efforts to disparage our company and damage the reputation of MEFT and Namibia’s rual communities. Mr. Smit and those who have broadcast and passed judgment have done nothing to promote wildlife conservation efforts in Namibia. Instead of celebrating the NGOs, conservancies, and MEFT in their tireless efforts to protect and sustain Namibia’s valuable and vulnerable wildlife, Mr. Smit decided to launch an ill-conceived attack using social media. The damage Mr. Smit and his organization have caused is incalculable at this point in time.
Therefore, we call upon Mr. Smit, his associates, and social media outlets to immediately cease and desist from perpetuating this false story. We also call for Mr. Smit, his associates, and participants to cease and desist from implicating WildVeld Safaris, its employees, and partner conservancies in the MEFT Human-Wildlife Conflict culling hunt. Finally, we demand that Mr. Smit and all media outlets issue an immediate retraction and public apology for his reckless claims.
In closing, while we all pray for Namibia’s wildlife to thrive, launching social media attacks without the facts is careless and counterproductive. We hope that the next steps taken will lessen the damage that Mr. Smit and his organization have caused and restore the reputations of those whom he needlessly attacked.
For more information regarding this matter, please contact Mr. Romeo Muyunda, the Chief Public Relations Officer at MEFT.
