Chinese logging operation halted

A probe into suspicious logging by a Chinese company near the construction site of a new green scheme in the Zambezi Region has led to a temporary halt of operations and confiscation of equipment since last week.

The inquiry was launched after forestry officials discovered that dozens of mature and protected African rosewood trees, also known as the large false mopane, had been felled deep in the forest and the loggers were unable to produce a permit.

The logging was taking place in an area close to the Liselo and Farm Katima green scheme, where 1 700 hectares are being cleared for irrigation as per a multimillion-dollar tender awarded by the agriculture ministry.

The trees are a high-value commodity, and are much sought after in Asian markets.

Sources told Namibian Sun that officials became alarmed when they encountered a group of Chinese and Namibian nationals cutting the large trees, allegedly without permits from the forestry department.

However, it is unclear what documentation is required to remove protected tree species under the terms of the ministerial tender.

In April 2016 the environment ministry issued an environmental clearance certificate, based on the required environmental assessment (EIA) conducted before the project could begin.

The environmental clearance certificate was issued with two conditions, one related to water extraction and the other stipulating that “any key biodiversity habitats must be protected”.

Moreover, the ministry's project specifications stipulate that the contractor “may work into his pricing the selling of wood harvested from large trees located within the irrigation fields provided this is requested in the cover letter and all necessary permits and documentation required [are] obtained.”

The investigation is now verifying what the “proper documentation” is, and whether the clearance certificate, in addition to the tender specification, exempted the company from obtaining additional permits to cut down protected trees, as it is not a purely harvesting operation but a project aimed at clearing land for irrigation.

Nevertheless, an anonymous source claimed that when officials came across the logging last week, it appeared that the loggers were “doing selective cutting”.





“It was very suspicious. There was no clear sign of de-bushing for crop production,” the source said.

A contract seen by Namibian Sun shows that the Chinese-owned company New Force Logistics agreed to pay Uundenge Investments, which had won the de-bushing tender, N$3 million to undertake the job.

The contract was signed in Windhoek in early January. It stipulates that the sub-contractor “can fell, transport, sell any diameter trees in appointed construction area and the trees variety is unlimited [sic]”.

New Force Logistics is owned by Hou Xuecheng, a Chinese national who has been arrested multiple times in Namibia since 2004 on charges including stock theft, illegal possession of wildlife products such as leopard skins and elephant tusks, and drug possession.

An investigative article published this week implicated Xuecheng as a key player in the illegal timber trade in Namibia and neighbouring countries.

The contract between Uundenge Investments and New Force Logistics is titled 'Farm Trees Sales Agreement ', and states that the “main contractor assists sub-contractor to apply for those permits and documents about requiring for felling, transporting, selling these trees and the cost undertake by main contractor [sic].”

Laban Kandume, founder and owner of Uundenge Investments, listed as a construction company, last week told Namibian Sun that any de-bushing activities, including the felling of protected trees, were being done in line with tender specifications.

He claimed that the environmental clearance certificate exempted the company from having to obtain additional forestry permits in order to cut any trees within the designated area stipulated by the ministry.

“For the cutting we don't need a permit, we were instructed to clear the area. We only work within our cut lines and are clearing the whole area as instructed by the ministry,” he said.

Kandume said an additional permit was only required for transportation, which hadn't begun yet.

Kandume provided a copy of the environmental clearance certificate, the ministry's project specifications as well as details on who had conducted the EIA.

Kandume distanced himself from any illegal activities by the Chinese contractor, saying he had made it clear to the contractor what the boundaries for the de-bushing and deep ripping were.

“The moment they go beyond and do other things, they are on their own. We are not in support of people violating laws. They must not drag us in if they are doing wrong things. We are in favour of doing things the right way.”

Last week, Joseph Hailwa, director of forestry in the agriculture ministry, told Namibian Sun that it was his understanding that the clearance of the Green Scheme area did not require additional permits from the forestry department.

“The tender is clear and the company must de-bush the area. It is unfortunate that sometimes development brings along damage,” Hailwa said.



He added that it was out of his department's hands if a clearance certificate had been issued and the project specifications stipulated large scale de-bushing.



He warned, however, that forestry officials would investigate whether any trees had been felled outside the project boundaries.



On Wednesday, Hailwa said the inquiry was continuing and the logging operation was still suspended because there was evidence that rosewood trees had been felled outside the Liselo Green Scheme project area.



“So we think that is suspicious,” he said.



JANA-MARI SMITH