Free State’s helium gamble: A new energy frontier?
The province is home to SA's biggest gas and helium project. Will it speed up the shift towards renewable energy sources, or hinder progress? Refilwe Mochoari investigates...
10 December, 2024
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Critical futures: What SA wants from its transition minerals
With vast deposits of minerals that make South Africa a key player in the green energy transition, Andiswa Matikinca investigates the future that stakeholders want to see...
02 December, 2024 -
Mining’s mess is JET’s opportunity
Mine rehabilitation presents an opportunity for environmental restoration and economic empowerment in the energy transition. Thabo Molelekwa investigates...
07 November, 2024 -
Unravelling the threads of snaring in Kruger park
Incidents of wildlife snaring have rocketed in South Africa’s flagship national park in the past four years. What’s driving the surge, and how are conservationists facing up to it?...
29 October, 2024 -
Elections take the shine off green hydrogen
Oxpeckers tracked 14 GH2 projects in Namibia, finding implementation has been slow and the only real growth has been in bureaucracy. John Grobler investigates...
11 October, 2024 -
Potential impacts of gas flaring in Soyo, Angola
Journalist Neusa e Silva travelled to Soyo to discover the potential human and environmental costs of gas flaring on the ground...
30 September, 2024 -
Stuck between lithium rocks and a hard place
Zimbabwean communities living around lithium mines have to put up with noise pollution, gas emissions, dust, flying-rock hazards and ground vibrations. Oscar Nkala investigates...
20 September, 2024 -
Financing municipal progress for Mpumalanga’s energy transition
Municipalities in SA’s energy heartland face significant financial problems to implement the JET. Thabo Molelekwa spoke to stakeholders trying to overcome the hurdles...
12 September, 2024 -
Slow walk to deliver GH2 talk in Namibia
John Grobler takes stock of progress on Namibia’s ambitious green hydrogen programme...
10 September, 2024 -
Hwange’s coal-mining horrors
Oscar Nkala travels to Hwange in north-western Zimbabwe to expose the environmental and health hazards caused by more than a century of coal mining...
05 September, 2024 -
‘Silent predators’ in the energy transition
Companies mining commodities needed for the global energy transition accused of keeping affected communities in Madagascar in the dark about their plans. Oscar Nkala investigates...
16 August, 2024 -
‘Future-proofing’ green hydrogen investments
John Grobler takes an inside look at a green hydrogen project that has made the most visible progress of nine such projects currently under development in Namibia...
07 August, 2024 -
‘We want a say in transition mining’ – DRC communities
Communities living on and working land in the DRC say they are not informed about mining permits for energy transition minerals. Jonas Kiriko speaks to them...
02 August, 2024 -
Mpumalanga is going with the wind
Wind farms are picking up speed in the province at the heart of South Africa’s energy transition, reports Thabo Molelekwa...
24 July, 2024 -
Cobalt crush undermines future of DRC’s community forests
Historic UN deal to restore degraded forest ecosystems in southeastern DRC is being torn apart by mining companies. Jonas Kiriko investigates...
22 July, 2024 -
Dark side to ‘a new dawn’
Tanzania is banking on its natural resources during the global transition to clean energy, but analysts warn there are dangers ahead. Oscar Nkala investigates...
12 July, 2024 -
Green energy innovations in the desert
Green hydrogen features in Namibian projects aimed at producing carbon-free steel and ammonia fuel for shipping and rail transport. John Grobler reports...
05 July, 2024 -
Running on empty: Mpumalanga’s energy transition needs juice
Despite its resources and capacity for green energy storage, SA's energy capital reaps minimal benefits due to an export-heavy focus. Sakhile Dube investigates...
20 June, 2024 -
The dark light: Zimbabwe’s energy nightmare
Power shortages across the country are fuelling deforestation through the illegal charcoal trade. Nqobile Tshili, Yolanda Moyo and Nkosana Vuma investigate how this network operate...
12 June, 2024 -
Mega plans for green hydrogen power in Mpumalanga
The province is the focus of ambitious plans for GH2 power development, but civil society organisations fear it promises more than can be delivered. Thabo Molelekwa investigates...
07 June, 2024 -
Silent extinction: Zimbabwe’s hotbed of environmental crime
Poaching and illegal coal mining threaten the future of Matabeleland’s elephant population. Nokuthaba Mathema investigates ...
04 June, 2024 -
Environmental (mis)management in Zimbabwe
The Environmental Management Agency does not have enough power to curb rampant water pollution and land degradation. Mandla Tshuma investigates the battles it faces...
24 May, 2024 -
Zimbabwe’s lithium liability
Zimbabwe is positioning itself as a global leader in mining and processing lithium. Tatenda Chitagu investigates the cost of these ambitious plans...
17 May, 2024 -
Mpumalanga carbon capture pilot project completed
A pilot project in Mpumalanga’s energy heartland aims to capture air pollution and store it in the ground. Thabo Molelekwa looks into this controversial technology...
24 April, 2024 -
Zambia tallies the costs of mining for electric batteries
Still reeling from environmental and public health problems caused by lead mining, the country now faces growing manganese demand for electric batteries. Oscar Nkala investigates...
16 April, 2024 -
Powering journalistic expertise to cover renewable energy
As the global transition to greener sources of energy continues full steam ahead, Oxpeckers takes the #PowerTracker project to journalists on the ground. Andiswa Matikinca reports...
05 March, 2024 -
Mpumalanga gas project aims to bridge JET gap
Development of R155-million LNG pilot in Amersfoort promoted as a way to alleviate energy shortages while South Africa transitions to renewable energy. Thabo Molelekwa investigates...
23 February, 2024 -
The cobalt curse of the Congo
Cobalt is a critical energy transition mineral, but its use in batteries and electric vehicles comes at a high price for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Oscar Nkala investiga...
14 February, 2024 -
‘New energy’ rush is stripping DRC’s natural assets
Mining companies cashing in on global demand for cobalt are destroying protected nature reserves in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Jonas Kiriko investigates...
05 February, 2024 -
Where’s the water for GH2 plan in Namib Desert?
John Grobler travels to the Daures Green Hydrogen Village pilot project in Namibia to find some answers...
23 January, 2024 -
How green is this hydrogen valley?
Puros is the northern-most of three ‘hydrogen valleys’ identified in the Namibian government’s GH2 masterplan. John Grobler visited to find out why...
18 January, 2024 -
Are municipalities good for JET money?
Financing for the Just Energy Transition is increasing, but is being undermined by indebted municipalities in Mpumalanga that are not bankable. Thabo Molelekwa investigates...
29 November, 2023 -
Green concerns over green hydrogen
Namibia’s ambitious GH2 project poses threats to a sensitive biodiversity hotspot and local communities, critics say. John Grobler investigates...
17 November, 2023 -
Question marks over Namibia’s green hydrogen plans
Hyphen’s ambitious GH2 venture is flawed and opaque, according to local critics. John Grobler spoke to them...
16 November, 2023 -
Solar’s not shining for all in Cabo Delgado
Mozambique's Energy for All programme has made great strides in far northern Mozambique, but not everyone is happy with it. Buanamade Assane investigates...
30 October, 2023 -
Mpumalanga joins the green hydrogen shift
HySHiFT project at Secunda is pioneering sustainable aviation fuel to help meet South Africa’s industry decarbonisation goals. Thabo Molelekwa investigates...
25 October, 2023 -
Solar powers up lives in northern Mozambique
Government authorities and communities have switched to solar panels and photovoltaic plants to power health units, schools and water supply systems, reports Nelsa Momade Pedro...
17 October, 2023 -
Nampula far from renewable energy goals
Investors are keen to support solar power in Northern Mozambique, but development on the ground is slow to take off. Amade Abubacar investigates why...
10 October, 2023 -
Pledges roll in for SA’s energy transition
South Africa expects more pledges as COP28 gathers steam, but how far have Western countries come in delivering on previous commitments they made? Thabo Molelekwa investigates...
22 September, 2023 -
Why wildlife crimes are easily committed in South Sudan
South Sudan has a Wildlife Act, but lacks the capacity to enforce the law effectively. Diing Magot and Denis Morris Mimbugbe investigate for #WildEye Eastern Africa...
15 September, 2023 -
A spoke in Mpumalanga’s power wheel
Wheeling electricity offers a solution to South Africa’s power crisis, so why is it not happening in the energy heartland? Andiswa Matikinca and Thabo Molelekwa investigate...
30 August, 2023 -
A burning issue for Burundi’s reserves
Bushfires in Burundi’s protected areas are prohibited by law, but runaway infernos are threatening the reserves and contributing to climate change. Espoir Iradukunda investigates...
17 August, 2023 -
DRC stockpiles fuel illegal wildlife trade
Ivory and other wild contraband seized by authorities is being returned to the black market in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Jonas Kiriko investigates why...
10 August, 2023 -
Training ramps up at Komati
Thabo Molelekwa gets an update on the training and community support programmes taking shape at Eskom’s pilot renewable energy plant...
13 July, 2023 -
SA’s coal lobby pushes back against green transition
Coal lobbying has long been an influential force in South Africa’s politics and economy. Thabo Molelekwa investigates its impacts on green energy investments...
19 June, 2023 -
The status of SA’s energy transition financing
Much has been made about the US$8.5-billion pledged to support South Africa’s Just Energy Transition. Thabo Molelekwa investigates where it is...
23 May, 2023 -
A new light on the future of Eskom’s assets
A business coalition in SA’s energy heartland proposes a private take-over of Eskom’s assets – but not everyone agrees with privatising energy production. Andiswa Matikinca reports...
15 May, 2023 -
Mind the (green skills) gap
SA’s transition to renewable energy is challenged by a shortage of skills development and training. Thabo Molelekwa investigates, with support from the Pulitzer Center...
04 April, 2023 -
Coal-mining web encircles Africa’s oldest game reserve
'Get-rich-quick’ coal prospecting rights threaten ecologically & economically vulnerable areas bordering Hluhluwe-iMfolozi reserve. Tony Carnie investigates for Our Burning Planet...
10 March, 2023 -
Where are Mpumalanga’s new energy projects?
South Africa’s power capital is being left behind in the race for renewable energy generation, reports Andiswa Matikinca...
02 March, 2023 -
Rwanda adopts toolkit to prosecute wildlife crimes
New guide will assist investigators, prosecutors and other law enforcers to address the challenges of lack of evidence in prosecuting wildlife crimes. Kelly Rwamapera reports...
06 February, 2023 -
Left in the dust for a greener future
Environmentalists and coal-dependent communities say people at the frontline of SA’s energy transition are in the dark about how it will unfold. Thabo Molelekwa speaks to them...
25 January, 2023 -
South Africa’s energy transition rises in the east
Mpumalanga, the province ‘where the sun rises’, takes centre stage in SA’s Just Energy Transition Plan. Yolandi Groenewald unpicks the details...
18 November, 2022 -
Sweet and sour future for sugar power
Giant sugar companies in Eswatini diversified into biopower cogeneration to keep the lights on, but how long will the strategy last? Phathizwe Zulu investigates...
21 October, 2022 -
Biogas power raises hot air in Botswana
An ambitious public-private biogas project needs to be scaled up if it is to contribute to Botswana’s renewable energy targets by 2030. Sharon Tshipa investigates...
06 October, 2022 -
Zimbabwe changes gear for electric vehicles
In response to extreme climate fall-out, Zimbabwe is ramping up its transition to electric vehicles as one of its key mitigation measures. Debra Matabvu investigates...
28 September, 2022 -
South Africa (M)ainstreams wind and solar power
Independent producers are already feeding enough power into the grid to replace two coal-fired stations. Thabo Molelekwa investigates the status of SA’s renewable energy roll-out...
22 September, 2022 -
Gone with the wind: Lesotho’s $15-billion energy pipedream
A wind farm hailed as Africa’s largest renewable energy project and the solution to Lesotho’s hefty electricity costs has ground to a halt. Sechaba Mokhethi investigates why...
16 September, 2022 -
Notorious rhino kingpin ‘Navara’ under arrest in Mozambique
'Navara', the alleged leader of poaching syndicates preying on rhinos in the Kruger National Park, has been arrested. Estacio Valoi, who has been tracking him for years, reports...
02 August, 2022 -
Uganda’s special court clamps down on wildlife crime
Handling of wildlife crimes in Uganda has improved since the establishment in 2017 of a special court to handle related cases, reports Cliff Abenaitwe...
08 July, 2022 -
New data provides a glimpse into SA’s illegal pangolin trade
Data shows intelligence operations have confiscated 160 live Temminck’s pangolins from the illegal trade in South Africa over the past five years, reports Calistus Bosaletswe...
23 June, 2022 -
Trafficking crackdown pays off in Tanzania
Tanzania’s elephant population has been rising amid law enforcement successes in dismantling trafficking rings that ferry ivory to Asia, a data investigation by Peter Elias shows...
21 June, 2022 -
Bushmeat trade poses a new threat to Tanzania’s endangered giraffes
Increasing human activities and settlement across wildlife corridors fuel poaching incidents of giraffes for game meat and animal fat in Northern Tanzania. Mussa Juma investigates...
14 June, 2022 -
How pangolins are smuggled from Southern Africa
Southern African countries are grappling with illegal pangolin trade. Calistus Bosaletswe analyses data sources to find out how this trade takes place...
03 June, 2022 -
Inside the DRC’s great ape trade
International trade in live baby primates is a by-product of the roaring illegal bushmeat trade in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Oscar Nkala investigates...
19 May, 2022 -
From Myanmar to the EU, the path of a ‘bloodstained’ resource
The EU imported more than €22-million worth of timber from Myanmar in 2021 – and nearly €8-million after sanctions were imposed on the military junta. Guillaume Pajot investigates...
08 April, 2022 -
Italy’s addiction to teak from Myanmar
Italy has become Europe’s top importer of Burmese teak, even after the coup in Myanmar, helping to fund the military regime and encourage deforestation. Rudi Bressa investigates...
31 March, 2022 -
EU’s mega-rich fuelling illegal ‘blood timber’ trade
Since the military seized power in Myanmar in 2021 and the European Union imposed sanctions on the junta, the teak trade has been pushed underground. Sarah Tekath investigates...
25 March, 2022 -
Inside India’s illegal shark-fin trade
India is the world’s third-largest shark catcher. It banned the export of shark fins in 2015, but the illegal trade is still thriving. Shamsheer Yousaf & Monica Jha investigate...
18 February, 2022 -
Emerging threats to China’s snow leopard population
Online trade and China's ambitious Belt and Road development plans pose new threats to the ‘poster boy’ of ecosystem conservation in Asia, reports Hsiuwen Liu...
31 January, 2022 -
Plans to ship endangered African giraffes to Taiwanese zoo
Oscar Nkala tracks a controversial deal to export 18 reticulated giraffes from Southern Africa to a wildlife zoo and entertainment park in Taiwan...
13 December, 2021 -
Exposing India’s secret snow leopard trade
Sadiq Naqvi unveils data and routes behind India’s underground trade in snow leopards and their body parts...
03 December, 2021 -
Tracking the ‘mountain ghosts’ of the Himalayas
Scattered data is complicating efforts to protect snow leopards against illegal trade, Varsha Singh reports from Uttarakhand in northern India...
26 November, 2021 -
Tourism adds to pressures on snow leopards in northern Pakistan
Investigation exposes illegal trade in the skins of rare species right in the heart of the main tourist attraction of Gilgit-Baltistan...
19 November, 2021 -
Nepal’s cross-border snow leopard smuggling networks
Kathmandu has become a hub of international wildlife crime that poses an additional threat to the conservation of rare snow leopards. Tufan Neupane investigates...
12 November, 2021 -
China’s snow leopard crimes
China is the biggest market of illegal trade in snow leopards. A data investigation by Hsiuwen Liu uncovers recent organised trafficking in the rare cats...
05 November, 2021 -
Has the DMRE lost control of South Africa’s chrome resources?
SA has some of the world’s largest chrome resources, but regulatory problems are aiding illegal activities in the industry. Andiswa Matikinca investigates...
25 October, 2021 -
Conservation official and ex-cop charged in case involving 17 illegal rhino horns
The National Prosecuting Authority has revealed a list of charges against the duo for their involvement in the illegal rhino horn trade. Simon Bloch investigates...
13 October, 2021 -
Inside 25 years of GMOs in Africa: Looking to the future
Part 3: What is the future for those developing GM crops in Africa despite resistance to the technology? Andiswa Matikinca, Arnaud Ouedraogo & Benon Herbert Oluka investigate...
28 September, 2021 -
Fears of deadly consequences cloud Africa’s attempts to embrace GMOs
Part 2: Andiswa Matikinca, Arnaud Ouedraogo & Benon Herbert Oluka look into health and environmental concerns surrounding agricultural biotechnologies, better known as GMOs...
20 September, 2021 -
Inside 25 years of GMOs in Africa
Part 1: why South Africa, Burkina Faso and Uganda have had mixed fortunes. A transnational investigation by Andiswa Matikinca, Arnaud Ouedraogo and Benon Herbert Oluka...
15 September, 2021 -
‘Homeland’ communities head to court to protect land rights from mining
A High Court case is expected to set a precedent on conflicts between private community ownership rights and commercial mining in the former homelands. Andiswa Matikinca reports...
23 August, 2021 -
New strategies for sustainable closure of mines
An ambitious new government strategy to deal with abandoned mines is welcome but needs more teeth, say those in the know. Andiswa Matikinca reports...
30 July, 2021 -
Deep Trouble: research shows coal is still king
While the world is shifting away from fossil fuels, data on planned new mines indicates the coal mining industry might not be winding down any time soon. Andiswa Matikinca reports...
25 June, 2021 -
Copper mine threatens Zambezi national park
Go-ahead for controversial open-pit copper mine in Lower Zambezi National Park has become a political hot potato in the run-up to Zambian elections. Oscar Nkala investigates...
23 June, 2021 -
Stockpiling wildlife in the time of lockdown
Wildlife traffickers in Southeast Asia are stockpiling animal parts in anticipation of demand recovering when Covid-19 restrictions are eased. Imelda Abano & Leilani Chavez report...
04 June, 2021 -
Deadly Air: a case about real lives & real people
A landmark court case sees the SA government being sued for the first time for the alleged violation of a Constitutional right to clean air. Andiswa Matikinca reports...
27 May, 2021 -
Business as usual for Hong Kong’s wildlife masterminds
Data investigation shows Hong Kong lacks the legal power to crack down on international criminal syndicates profiting off its wildlife trafficking routes. Hsiuwen Liu reports...
19 May, 2021 -
Vietnam: Traffickers versus Covid-19
Could illegal wildlife trade in Vietnam come back stronger after Covid-19? Trang Bui and Lam Quan spoke with traffickers and analysed 10 years’ worth of data to find out...
21 April, 2021 -
‘Time to shut down Koeberg’s nuclear project’
Experts say recent earth tremors highlight the need to shut down the Koeberg nuclear station at the end of its lifespan in three years’ time. Andiswa Matikinca investigates...
01 April, 2021 -
Malaysia’s judges throw the book at wildlife criminals
Courts in Malaysia are imposing heavier penalties for wildlife crimes, but is this enough to deter organised criminal networks? Richa Syal investigates...
24 March, 2021 -
Mozambique’s tough task tackling rhino crimes
The release of 83 rhino poachers from South African jails did not help the uphill battle faced by prosecutors dealing with environmental crimes in Mozambique, reports Estacio Valoi...
16 March, 2021 -
Tigers à la carte
Captive tigers are big business in France. A new law to ban wild animals in circuses could change this – or end up driving the market underground. Guillaume Pajot investigates...
12 March, 2021 -
Until the last tiger roars
Lack of data about the tiger trade in Europe is stimulating illegal trafficking in this endangered species – and Italy and France are two major hotspots. Rudi Bressa investigates...
10 March, 2021 -
Calls for a special wildlife crime court in Namibia
Namibia’s over-burdened criminal justice system is struggling to keep up with rhino-poaching court cases. Is a special wildlife crime court the answer? John Grobler investigates...
24 February, 2021 -
Too low, too slow: SA’s rhino convictions
The real war on poaching happens in the courtroom – but the wheels of justice grind slowly in many rhino-related cases, writes Jacqueline Cochrane...
19 February, 2021 -
How to break the law and get away with it
Botswana’s controversial Bo Chang donkey abattoir is back in business. It’s flouting the law and setting a dangerous precedent, reports Oscar Nkala...
17 February, 2021 -
Is coal really on its way out in South Africa?
Andiswa Matikinca investigates whether the sun is setting on the coal industry as major producers are pulling out and leaving their coal assets to be picked up by smaller companies...
15 February, 2021 -
Mission to the Kawe
Reconnaissance of ReconAfrica's proposed fracking site in Kavanga raised concerns about ecosystems, water and communal lands, writes John Grobler...
01 February, 2021 -
‘Gold rush’ as Botswana meets appetite for lion goods
Data investigation by Calistus Bosaletswe shows that over a 10-year period South Africa received most of the live lions and their products exported from Botswana...
20 January, 2021 -
The perfect rhino crime
Oscar Nkala investigates how corrupt judicial processes in Zimbabwe are helping wildlife traffickers get off scot free...
13 January, 2021 -
Proposed coal mine threatens UNESCO site in South Africa
Manzolwandle Investments expresses confidence in proceeding with its proposed coal mine on the southern border of Kruger National Park. Andiswa Matikinca reports for Earth Focus...
21 October, 2020 -
Wildlife has no part in TCM, say Chinese doctors
Yuexuan Chen talks to qualified practitioners about wildlife treatments in traditional Chinese medicine, and the perceptions of Western media...
12 October, 2020 -
New Indonesian law trumps wildlife smugglers
Using the Quarantine Act to prosecute a wildlife-smuggling syndicate gave the biggest verdict ever. Will it work in other trafficking cases? Rezza Aji Pratama investigates...
11 September, 2020 -
Donkey rustlers profit off wildlife trafficking routes
Cross-border donkey smugglers in Zimbabwe and Botswana are operating pipelines used for ivory, pangolins and Covid-19 contraband. Oscar Nkala investigates...
08 September, 2020 -
Following South Africa’s mining millions
Data-driven investigation shows 10 UK-based companies paid out at least US$1.076-billion to SA government and communities in 2018. Andiswa Matikinca follows the money...
14 July, 2020 -
Data investigation exposes illegal wildlife trade in Eastern Europe
New #WildEye data reveals that Eastern Europe is an important region for wildlife traffickers. And it seems likely that many crimes go unnoticed and unpunished, writes Marius Daea...
02 July, 2020 -
China urged to burn stockpiles of pangolin scales
Environmental groups say a symbolic gesture would send a clear signal to the public that use of pangolin scales is no longer permitted. Alexis Kriel reports...
12 June, 2020 -
The need for speed in water licensing
The government is in the process of fast-tracking water use authorisations. What are the implications for water security? Andiswa Matikinca investigates the data...
15 May, 2020 -
Chinese courts treat pangolin offenders lightly
Data investigation by #WildEye Asia exposes lenient punishments for pangolin offences that are unlikely to deter illegal trade. Investigation by Bao Choy...
05 May, 2020 -
Nigeria steps up to help pangolins
Research, contacts and networks from our journalistic investigations in the hub of Africa's illegal pangolin trade contributed to Nigeria hosting World Pangolin Day...
05 March, 2020 -
New mining threat at Mapungubwe heritage site
A rush of coal prospecting applications raises new fears about mining around Mapungubwe National Park, a world heritage site of cultural and environmental importance...
27 February, 2020 -
The human face of tragic Wuhan
Oxpeckers associate Yuexuan Chen tells her story of Hubei, the Chinese province at the epicentre of the coronavirus crisis...
20 February, 2020 -
Inside the global conservation organisation infiltrated by trophy hunters
Indepth investigation shows trophy hunters and luxury fashion brands working to influence the IUCN, the world’s leading authority on endangered species conservation...
14 February, 2020 -
New visions at Alternative Mining Indaba
Deliberations at the 11th Alternative Mining Indaba focused on environmental damage and climate change caused by the extractives industry. Andiswa Matikinca was there...
14 February, 2020 -
Beyond parachute journalism
Instead of grabbing the story and rushing away to publish, this journalistic investigation helped remote rural community members participate in the project...
05 February, 2020 -
Conservation capture
Heated dispute erupts over SA’s biggest land settlement at MalaMala game reserve. What does it mean for community ecotourism around Kruger? See our multimedia investigation...
21 January, 2020 -
Seahorse black market devastates Italy’s coast
Organised illegal trade with links to China is affecting endangered marine species across the Puglia region. Investigation by Peter Yeung & Carlotta Dotto...
19 December, 2019 -
Tanzania’s U-turn on donkey hides boosts cross-border trafficking
Lifting of a ban on donkey abattoirs has stimulated a regional animal welfare and security crisis in East Africa. Oscar Nkala investigates...
12 December, 2019 -
Cyber sleuths crack down on online wildlife crime
Law enforcement agencies in Europe are making an impact on illegal wildlife e-commerce, a #WildEye data investigation shows...
09 December, 2019 -
Water win: ConCourt throws out Mabola appeal
‘Right now, they’re not permitted to put a shovel in the ground – and we’re aiming to keep it that way,’ say victorious opponents of Atha-Africa’s mining plans...
22 November, 2019 -
‘Greatest wildlife crime on the planet’ threatens multiple ecosystems
Millions of glass eels are smuggled out of Europe each year, and their looming extinction poses a serious ecological threat. #WildEye investigates...
13 November, 2019 -
Where’s the water for Limpopo’s industrial juggernaut?
Limpopo’s flagship Musina-Makhado project is being developed in an arid region that includes national priority freshwater ecosystems. Andiswa Matikinca investigates ...
25 October, 2019 -
Strange (non)case of pangolin killings in Mozambique
An apparently open-and-shut case of pangolin poaching and torture hit a brick wall when it got to court. Ed Stoddard investigates...
14 October, 2019 -
Caviar, crime and corruption
This story of an ancient species at risk is also the story of a proud people laid low by regulation. It shows that conservation is never simple, writes Marius Daea...
10 October, 2019 -
Son of Frelimo war veteran arrested in possession of rhino horns
News of the arrest of Lucílio Matsinhe was received with shock because he is the son of a 'liberator of the homeland' and former minister of security. Nazira Suleimane reports...
02 October, 2019 -
The fight to bring a deadly illegal industry to justice
Modern investigative techniques used to solve human crimes are now helping to catch wildlife poachers, smugglers and traffickers. Léa Surugue investigates...
25 September, 2019 -
Elephant carcasses pile up amid conservation tensions in Niassa
Rangers on the ground say a tug of war among decision makers is exposing Mozambique’s largest national reserve to poachers and ivory traffickers. Estacio Valoi investigates...
12 September, 2019 -
Craving for caviar is driving the Danube sturgeon to extinction
Rising demand from consumers, local greed in a failing economy, weak controls and corrupt law enforcement are driving wild sturgeon in the Danube to extinction. By Denise Hruby...
27 August, 2019 -
Status of plans to frack SA’s ‘water tower’
An Appeal Court ruling has stalled plans to frack the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal, but two exploration applications are still on track. Yuexuan Chen investigates...
21 August, 2019 -
Tracking water use licences with #MineAlert
Mining your Water project empowers users to track and share water use licences approved for mining, reports Andiswa Matikinca ...
14 August, 2019 -
Inside the temple of trade
Thousands of euros change hands at reptile trade fairs, but it's hard to tell if the deals are legal or not. Rudi Bressa investigates...
02 August, 2019 -
Tech solutions for rhino trade
How the online illegal trade of rhino horn works, and how innovative technology is being used to disrupt the market ...
01 August, 2019 -
How we (almost) became reptile smugglers
Cyberspace provides an anonymous, versatile marketplace for illegal wildlife trade. Rudi Bressa investigates how easy it is to set up illicit deals from Italy...
30 July, 2019 -
Europe cracks down on wildlife crime
Analysis of #WildEye data shows there has been an increase in the number of court cases and convictions taking place across Europe, writes Roxanne Joseph...
26 July, 2019 -
Curbing consumption of pangolins
Use of pangolins for bushmeat and African traditional medicine is complicated by the growing, unsustainable demand for scales from Asia. Alexis Kriel investigates...
05 July, 2019 -
Non-compliance in water use: who takes the blame?
New report exposes ‘gross violations’ of water permit regulations by eight coal mines in Mpumalanga. Andiswa Matikinca investigates...
03 July, 2019 -
How Chinese Flying Money ‘finances’ illegal wildlife trade
Feiqian is the single biggest obstacle in investigating organised wildlife trafficking and related crimes, a year-long investigation by John Grobler established...
28 June, 2019 -
Europe’s eggheads drive the demise of ‘king of parrots’
In a sophisticated laundering scheme, traffickers fly the eggs to Europe, incubate them and pass off the live birds as captive-bred. Denise Hruby investigates...
10 June, 2019 -
Preserving pangolins in South Asia
Pangolin populations across South Asia are endangered by a huge trade in animal parts supplying the appetite for Chinese traditional medicine...
10 June, 2019 -
On the trail of Mali’s dangerous donkey traffickers
Mali restricted the sale and slaughter of donkeys for skins in 2016, so syndicates have turned to smuggling stolen animals to Ghana. Oscar Nkala investigates...
28 May, 2019 -
German customs train dogs to sniff out species smuggling
For organised crime, the smuggling of endangered species is a lucrative business. Denise Hruby reports on how German customs agents use tracking dogs to crack down on the trade...
23 May, 2019 -
The donkey slaughter capital of West Africa
Demand for donkey-hide glue has turned Ghana into the region’s slaughterhouse, and the Chinese abattoir behind the trade is re-opening for business. Oscar Nkala investigates...
20 May, 2019 -
Sweeping water permit violations at mines across SA
New data reveals a radical increase in the number of mines flouting water regulations. Mark Olalde & Andiswa Matikinca investigate...
17 May, 2019 -
Clipping the wings of Italy’s bird poachers
More than five million birds are hunted illegally in Italy every year – by far the most in Europe. Matteo Civillini investigates efforts to crack down on offenders...
15 May, 2019 -
Africa’s pangolins caught in ‘the perfect storm’
Recent seizures of huge amounts of scales have turned Nigeria into Africa’s key illegal pangolin exporting country. Alexis Kriel investigates what is driving the trade...
06 May, 2019 -
Mining opponents operate in ‘environment of fear’
'We know our lives are in danger': Attacks on anti-mining activists and environmental defenders documented in a new report. Andiswa Matikinca investigates...
16 April, 2019 -
Millions of UN dollars fail to reach villages fighting to survive in Mozambique
Estácio Valoi exposes how the failure of UNDP funding intended to combat environmental destruction left Mozambican communities to battle cyclones, floods and drought alone...
29 March, 2019 -
Oxpeckers investigation wins Asian journalism award
Transnational investigation into abalone smuggling from South Africa to China wins at Asian Environmental Journalism Awards...
22 March, 2019 -
Richtersveld diamond deal leaves locals with the dirt
Tensions mount in the diamond-rich Richtersveld after the sale of mines by Trans Hex left a multi-million-rand rehabilitation debt. Yolandi Groenewald investigates...
18 March, 2019 -
Exposing the abalone-rhino poaching links
John Grobler investigates the overlap between abalone and rhino horn smuggling syndicates operating between South Africa, Namibia and Hong Kong...
08 March, 2019 -
Namibia starts controversial hyena cull to save its wild horses
Shooting hyenas to save wild horses raises heated debate about interventions between endemic wildlife and ‘feral’ animals. Linda Baker investigates...
26 February, 2019 -
Here’s how to heed those voices, Mr President
President Cyril Ramaphosa says SA mining wants to be more transparent and embracing. Andiswa Matikinca talks to organisations with advice...
08 February, 2019 -
How wildlife traffickers exploit Chinese New Year
The busy festive period is perfect for slipping abalone and other illegal animals through customs, writes Denise Hruby...
06 February, 2019 -
Dynamic data discovery: The future of detecting wildlife cybercrime
Being able to identify online transactions and conversations involving vulnerable species will assist in the fight against wildlife trafficking. Roxanne Joseph reports...
04 February, 2019 -
Digital tool tracks Europe’s role in illegal wildlife trade
Our digital geojournalism tool #WildEye gives easy access to data on seizures, arrests, court cases and convictions related to wildlife crime in Europe...
28 January, 2019 -
What is free, prior & informed consent for mining?
The Western majoritarian view does not work when consulting mining-affected communities such as Xolobeni, reports Andiswa Matikinca...
24 January, 2019 -
Czech tiger farm exposes illegal trade in heart of Europe
Gruesome discovery of organised transnational crime ring exposes how illegal tiger farms are operating in the middle of the European Union. Tristan Martin investigates...
15 January, 2019 -
Ideal cover for wildlife traffickers
Wildlife criminals are increasingly using Europe's mail and online retail delivery services to smuggle their contraband. Denise Hruby investigates...
14 January, 2019 -
The world’s largest ‘paper park’
Six years and €50-million since its creation, Oscar Nkala visits the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area to find out what impact it has had on wildlife and communities...
14 December, 2018 -
SA sets hard rules at COP24
South Africa and its allies at the COP24 climate negotiations are pushing for a strong rulebook on the Paris Agreement. Yolandi Groenewald reports from Katowice...
13 December, 2018 -
Directors targeted for Mintails mess
Executives at Mintails and DRDGOLD scramble to avoid liability and the possibility of criminal charges for R460-million environmental mess on the West Rand...
12 December, 2018 -
A dark battle to save pangolins
South African pioneers are inventing ways to save casualties of the world’s biggest wildlife crime, reports Louise de Bruin...
04 December, 2018 -
Kenya – the epicentre of East Africa’s donkey crisis
Stolen donkeys are smuggled across borders with Tanzania and Ethiopia to feed Kenya’s expanding abattoirs and Chinese demand for donkey-hide glue. Oscar Nkala investigates...
28 November, 2018 -
Disrupting wildlife crime on the Dark Web
As enforcement steps up, illicit operations go deeper into darkness. New research suggests the marketplace could become impossible to disrupt, writes Roxanne Joseph...
27 November, 2018 -
Mining starts in Mpumalanga water zone
Local residents reported blasting and the removal of coal close to the wetlands of the Greater Lakenvlei Protected Environment. Andiswa Matikinca investigates...
21 November, 2018 -
Help us to track wildlife crime
Our new #WildEye project aims to expose wildlife smuggling networks and how they work across the greater European continent...
20 November, 2018 -
How #MineAlert helped Mabola
An anonymous tip-off sparked a sustained investigative journalism trail and a precedent-setting High Court judgment, writes Julia Thomas...
16 November, 2018 -
ClimaTracker story wins international award
Story about Patricia de Lille’s struggle to access climate funding for drought-stricken Cape Town wins United Nations contest...
02 November, 2018 -
‘Evidence failure’ blights fight against illegal wildlife trade
Experts want to see a more scientific approach to designing, monitoring and evaluating interventions against wildlife crime, reports Mike Shanahan...
25 October, 2018 -
‘A criminal problem, with a capital C’
The illegal trade driving the world’s smallest marine mammal to extinction carries an important lesson for broader efforts to combat wildlife crime, writes Mike Shanahan...
25 October, 2018 -
Mabola case sets new boundaries for protected areas
Judicial review of Cabinet decision to open Mabola strategic water zone raises questions about the status of mining in protected environments. Tholakele Nene reports...
18 October, 2018 -
Bridging the gap between science and policy
Researchers explore ways to bring attention to and inform policy on illegal wildlife trade. By Sara Schonhardt and James Fahn...
10 October, 2018 -
Cape Town shines at climate summit
Cape Town’s ‘Day Zero’ sets an example for other cities faced with doomsday climate scenarios. Yolandi Groenewald reports...
03 October, 2018 -
Mantashe listening with only half an ear
Public participation in the mining sector has improved but there is still a long way to go to gain stakeholder trust, writes Tholakele Nene...
28 September, 2018 -
Parliament probes Mintails toxic legacy
Parliamentary committee asks for explanations following Oxpeckers report on mining company’s liquidation plans. Lisa Steyn reports...
19 September, 2018 -
Where are Cape Town’s climate funds, asks De Lille
Three years after drought-stricken Cape Town applied to the global Green Climate Fund, the city’s application is still pending. Yolandi Groenewald reports...
17 September, 2018 -
Fury at release of rhino ‘pseudo-hunt’ kingpin
Outrage greeted the early release of notorious Thai trafficker Chumlong Lemtongthai, who used false South African hunting permits to launder rhino horns. Simon Bloch reports...
13 September, 2018 -
The black market for jaguar body parts
Across Asia and the Chinatowns of Europe a growing demand for jaguar body parts is placing pressure on the big cats of the Americas. Eduardo Franco Berton investigates...
31 August, 2018 -
Confessions of an ivory poacher
Oscar Nkala talks to a jailed Zambian elephant poacher about the structure, financing and operations of cross-border smuggling gangs...
24 August, 2018 -
Online trade: the devil’s in the data
Law enforcement agencies are creating new ways to combat online illegal wildlife trade. A centralised data repository is crucial to their success, writes Roxanne Joseph...
16 August, 2018 -
Mintails collapse: case study in how not to close mines
Liquidation leaves a R330-million environmental mess for Gauteng residents, government and other mining companies to clean up. Mark Olalde investigates...
08 August, 2018 -
Forensic investigation to unearth MalaMala skeletons
SA’s Parliament decides to initiate a forensic investigation into the controversial R1.1-billion MalaMala deal, the country’s most expensive land settlement. Tholakele Nene reports...
25 July, 2018 -
Mud-slinging over Mabola mine turns nasty
Threats against critics of mining in protected water resource are part of a bigger trend of corporations trying to bully their critics into silence, reports John Yeld...
24 July, 2018 -
How to spot illegal wildlife trade on social media
Roxanne Joseph asks questions you can use to tell the difference between legal and illegal advertising of animal products on social media...
13 July, 2018 -
Cleaning up the mining mess
With about 6,000 abandoned mines across South Africa, regulators are searching for answers to irresponsible mine closure. Mark Olalde reports...
11 July, 2018 -
Scales, horns and skins: available online, all day, everyday
Increased access to the Internet is facilitating rampant online wildlife trade in South Africa. Roxanne Joseph investigates why it is such an attractive marketplace...
06 July, 2018 -
Why Africa’s ‘trees of life’ are dying
The death of ancient trees in southern Africa not only affects biodiversity but will have a huge impact on society in general, reports Louise de Bruin...
04 July, 2018 -
SA’s wildlife cryptotrade
The South African-based marketplace for online wildlife trade is Africa’s largest. Roxanne Joseph investigates where this cryptotrade is taking place...
29 June, 2018 -
Sorry state of Zimbabwe’s wildlife hunting
Zimbabwe’s wildlife estate is open for business among unethical foreign hunters, corrupt officials and fraudsters, an investigation by Oxpeckers reporters shows...
21 June, 2018 -
When more plants is bad news
Ground-breaking termite study shows climate change is altering Africa’s savannahs, and how ecosystems could stop functioning as a result. Louise de Bruin reports...
07 June, 2018 -
Botswana eyes donkey trade with Asia
Botswana has lifted its moratorium on donkey abattoirs and is scouting markets in Asia, writes Oscar Nkala...
01 June, 2018 -
Is Mabola open for mining?
Indian company Atha-Africa Ventures is going ahead with an application to change land use at the Mabola protected area to open it to mining. Julia Thomas investigates...
18 May, 2018 -
The Zimbabwean abattoir that never opened, but has killed at least 105 donkeys
Licensing of the country’s first commercial donkey abattoir was ruled out last October, but at Battlefront Investments business carries on as usual. Oscar Nkala investigates...
15 May, 2018 -
Kruger’s contested borderlands
Game reserves are being developed along the Mozambique border to create a buffer zone against poaching. But displaced communities say it’s a land grab...
06 April, 2018 -
Christo Wiese’s Namibian rhino deal under scrutiny
How did 13 rhino bulls from the Kruger National Park end up on a hunting farm owned by a reclusive Russian billionaire in Namibia?...
21 February, 2018 -
Time for Africa to head CITES
Most of the work of the international wildlife trade body focuses on endangered species in Africa, say pro-sustainable use groups...
13 February, 2018 -
Faces behind Namibia’s donkey abattoirs
Who are the people driving Namibia’s plans to open commercial abattoirs for donkey meat and skins for Asia? Oscar Nkala tracks them down...
01 December, 2017 -
Pioneering multimedia tech for climate change
Lessons we learnt from experimenting with savvy storytelling tech to tell visually strong and impactful multimedia investigations...
10 November, 2017 -
East Africa’s ivory smuggled out of Mozambican ports
Modus operandi of ivory smuggling networks exposed after recent arrest of a 'mastermind' in the illicit trade from Pemba to China. Estacio Valoi investigates...
07 November, 2017 -
Mine closure investigations win top award
Pioneering data journalism project on financial provisions for mine closures and rehabilitation is rewarded with top environmental media award...
25 October, 2017 -
Border bandits turn to donkey smuggling
Donkey smugglers are taking advantage of cross-border criminal networks to meet the growing demand for hides. Oscar Nkala investigates...
05 October, 2017 -
Furore over Namibia’s donkey slaughter plans
Namibia has given the go-ahead to two donkey abattoirs that plan to export meat to Vietnam and skins to China. They have met stiff opposition from locals, reports Oscar Nkala...
28 August, 2017 -
Inside Botswana’s illegal donkey trade
Chinese traders are driving the cruel slaughter of donkeys across Southern Africa, for traditional potions that use gelatin in the hide. Investigation by Oscar Nkala...
24 August, 2017 -
From Mozambique to China, money talks
More than 90% of Mozambican timber is exported to China at less than its true value. Estacio Valoi uncovers collusion between shipping agents, customs officials and port managers...
22 August, 2017 -
State forest capture
Ancient hardwood trees in the Caprivi State Forest are being looted by a Chinese syndicate exploiting legal loopholes and de-bushing tenders for farming. John Grobler investigates...
09 August, 2017 -
Science and ‘social learning’ key to reduce climate disaster risks
Disrupting the Future: How communities and experts work together to reduce flood disaster risks in Limpopo. A multimedia #ClimaTracker investigation by Anina Mumm When the Western ...
25 July, 2017 -
No mining at Mabola for ‘the foreseeable future’
Mining at the Mabola protected water zone is on hold – for now. The status of the mining right is unclear after court action by civil society groups this week, reports Mark Olalde...
30 June, 2017 -
Why rhinos shiver and shake
Understanding and dealing with tremors during veterinary treatment is essential to securing the species, reports Louise de Bruin...
27 June, 2017 -
Watership down: the reality of mining Mabola
Mabola is a strategic water source that feeds four of South Africa's major rivers, but the government has approved a licence to mine coal there. Oxpeckers broke the story in 2015, ...
16 June, 2017 -
How SA’s abalone ends up on China’s plates
Crystal Chow investigates how the race over the most sought-after delicacy in Asia embodies the developmental dilemma in post-apartheid South Africa...
09 June, 2017 -
South Africa’s future without coal
The future of electricity generation is no longer guaranteed to the coal industry. Which forms of power will keep the lights on? Mark Olalde investigates...
25 May, 2017 -
How I helped Leila
Journalist John Grobler was on assignment in Angola when he came across a young chimpanzee in trouble. This is the story of his mission to take her to a place of safety...
23 May, 2017 -
R60-billion held for mines that are never closed
Never-before-seen data shows a fortune has been set aside for mine rehabilitation in South Africa. But large mines are not being properly closed, and the money cannot be touched. M...
17 May, 2017 -
Spy arrests lift lid on Botswana’s silent trafficking threat
Botswana has a global reputation for zero tolerance of poaching and wildlife crimes. In recent years, however, it has become vulnerable to insider wildlife crimes committed by rogu...
10 May, 2017 -
When towns run dry
Adapt, or die: How do people survive when there's no water in their taps and the dams are bone-dry? A multimedia investigation by Yolandi Groenewald and Johnny Miller...
05 May, 2017 -
Can land reform feed South Africa?
President Jacob Zuma is talking tough about radical land redistribution and the expropriation of farms. If reform is not well targeted it may threaten food security and benefit onl...
26 April, 2017 -
Coal mines leave a legacy of ruin
Oxpeckers publishes never-before-seen data exposing the lack of mine closures, despite R45-billion being held in financial provisions for rehabilitation in 2015. Investigation by M...
07 April, 2017 -
Northern Cape gears up to tackle malaria
The Northern Cape is mostly a dry province, but preventing malaria is one of the measures it is taking to adapt to climate change, reports Rehana Dada...
29 March, 2017 -
Mozambique’s poaching castles are crumbling
Estacio Valoi travelled to Mozambique’s poaching capital to catch up with some of the kingpins who built their mansions on the proceeds of killing Kruger’s rhinos...
14 March, 2017 -
What to do as the Mother City runs dry
There has never been a more urgent time for Cape Town to adapt or die. Yolandi Groenewald investigates the measures city authorities are taking to survive the water woes...
07 March, 2017 -
Rooibos farmers go wild to survive
Some farmers believe it is the wild rooibos plant that holds the secret to keeping climate change at bay, rather than its domesticated cousin. Yolandi Groenewald reports Rooibos te...
28 February, 2017 -
Ministers sign secret deal to mine strategic water zone
Without any public notification, South Africa’s ministers of environment and mining signed off on a coal mining project in the critical Mabola water catchment in Mpumalanga. Mark O...
15 February, 2017 -
Chinese ‘mafia boss’ turns to timber in Namibia
Xuecheng Hou, a wealthy Chinese businessman linked to wildlife trafficking, has emerged as a major player in the illegal trade in rare African timber. John Grobler investigates...
07 February, 2017 -
The reality of social and labour plans
Social and labour plans are supposed to improve life for communities affected by mining. Unfortunately, because of the fog surrounding how they operate and are enforced, these comm...
06 February, 2017 -
Appeal against mine expansion in wildlife corridor
Tricia Govindasamy looks into the impacts of environmental authorisation for expanding Sedibelo mine in the North West Heritage Park Corridor The expansion of a mining project that...
23 January, 2017 -
Timber looting continues in Mozambique
Despite a ban on the export of raw timber in Mozambique, containers filled with hardwood logs are piling up in northern harbours for export to China. Estacio Valoi investigates Whi...
10 January, 2017 -
Mine closures: What’s happening in your back yard?
After an 18-month search, Mark Olalde accessed data on mine closure trust funds, financial provisions for rehabilitation and closure certificates...
15 December, 2016 -
SEEDcontrol: SA is losing its real gold
Traditional food crops that have adapted to climate change and poor soils hold the key to food security, but is enough being done to conserve them?...
12 December, 2016 -
The horn scam at Windhoek’s airport
The Namibian authorities don’t seem to be in any hurry to shut down a rhino horn smuggling syndicate that has infiltrated security at Windhoek’s airport, writes John Grobler...
02 December, 2016 -
Indigenous breeds adapt best
In response to climate change farmers prefer livestock species that are heat and drought tolerant, as well as disease and parasite resistant, writes Kennedy Dzama The climate of th...
01 December, 2016 -
‘Climate smart’ farming produces results
Small-scale farmers observe crop yield increases in a time of drought due to adaptation interventions Local farmers in the uMgungundlovu District in KwaZulu-Natal have recently sta...
23 November, 2016 -
How to make wine without water
South Africa is one of the world's leading wine producers, 95% of it in the Western Cape. Yolandi Groenewald investigates the delicate tightrope wine farmers have ...
16 November, 2016 -
Seabed prospecting undermines blue economy
Ambitious government plans to grow the oceans economy are threatened by prospecting licences that would open the marine economic zone to phosphate strip mining. Mark Ol...
11 November, 2016 -
‘The great emptiness is upon us’
Fifteen months after Zimbabwe's two infamous lion killings earned the Lower Dete Valley its reputation as the graveyard of Hwange National Park’s big cats, Oscar Nkala<...
07 November, 2016 -
Green light for coal mine in strategic water zone
A controversial underground coal mine in a protected water catchment in Mpumalanga has moved closer to breaking ground after it was granted environmental authorisation and ...
05 October, 2016 -
Business as usual for rhinos
The hunting of a rhino by a Vietnamese client with the ‘Musina Mafia’ set the tone for the treatment of the endangered species at CITES CoP17, writes Yolandi Groenewald...
05 October, 2016 -
Namibia diaries: the good, the bad, the ugly
Depending on your views about legal trade in wildlife products, the past week was either a good week or a very good week for Namibian conservation, writes John Grobler...
04 October, 2016 -
Ivory’s double-edged sword at CITES
What do the CITES decisions mean for Southern Africa's elephants – and in particular, the world-famous Kruger National Park, where CITES has documented a 23% rise in elepha...
04 October, 2016 -
Grey area: The illicit parrot trade and SA’s captive-breeding industry
South Africa has no wild grey parrots, yet it is the world’s biggest exporter of the popular endangered birds. Kimon de Greef exposes the role of the breeders in calls for CITES to...
29 September, 2016 -
South Africa’s scaly trade in pangolins
An undercover investigation exposes South Africa’s growing role in illicit transnational pangolin smuggling. Will the ban on trade by CITES make any difference? Special rep...
29 September, 2016 -
Gender-based violence in SA mines is an open secret
Women now have a place in a labour-intensive workplace with heavy machinery designed for muscle, but a rough industry is struggling to get to grips with their presence unde...
21 September, 2016 -
Tales from the coalface
Activists face uphill battles when they push back against mining companies. Their stories include violence, secret deals, a lack of access to information and unenforced law...
16 September, 2016 -
A mysterious dead hand driving Namibia’s poaching
After a two-year investigation, John Grobler exposes the totem-based networks facilitating transnational rhino horn smuggling and defeating the pursuit of suspects...
15 September, 2016 -
The dilemma of Swaziland’s horns
Why did Swaziland submit a last-minute proposal asking CITES to approve an experimental ‘pilot project’ to sell its stockpiled rhino horns? What does this mean for the COP1...
09 September, 2016 -
Breeding discontent over rare buck
Game breeders cashing in on sales of endangered oribis are adding to the threats pushing the species towards extinction. Dale Hes investigates...
07 September, 2016 -
SADC backs ‘shoot to kill’ strategy
SADC report reveals how member states favour an anti-poaching strategy with far-reaching consequences for the independence of national judiciaries, writes Lawrence Sere...
02 September, 2016 -
The double-edged sword of mining
Communities affected by mining in South Africa live under a double-edged sword. Geojournalism helps them to participate in governance and compliance monitoring...
26 August, 2016 -
Poaching syndicates target Kruger rangers
Why are the icons of conservation being arrested in connection with rhino poaching? Yolandi Groenewald examines the screening processes for Kruger rangers...
23 August, 2016 -
‘Trojan horse’ of Namibia’s rhino poaching crisis?
A mysterious hunting lodge with a backdoor into the Etosha National Park provides a possible key to the decimation of Namibia’s critically endangered black rhinos...
11 August, 2016 -
Bring on the sun
Terence Govender, vice-president of development at the giant SolarReserve project in the Northern Cape, talks to Tholakele Nene about the benefits of investing in renewable energy ...
19 July, 2016 -
The epicentre of Namibia’s rhino poaching
John Grobler visits Okahao, a sleepy settlement near Etosha that is at the centre of the poaching plague threatening the world’s last critically endangered black rhinos...
11 July, 2016 -
Northern Cape thrives on sunshine
Tholakele Nene finds out how giant solar power projects are making a difference to rural lives affected by climate change in semi-desert areas of the Northern Cape...
04 July, 2016 -
Bling king accused in Namibian rhino poaching
John Grobler reports on the sensational arrest of a young Windhoek businessman and his alleged role in the slaughter of critically endangered black rhinos...
27 June, 2016 -
Smart innovations boost resilience to drought
By Locadia Mavhudzi Approximately 4.5-million people, more than 30% of Zimbabwe’s population, will be in need of food aid by next March, according to recent estimates by the United...
24 June, 2016 -
Chinese-military axis behind Zambian poaching crisis
Zambia’s elephant population has declined by about 90% due to poaching. Its black rhino population is extinct. Oscar Nkala visited the border town of Livingstone t...
21 June, 2016 -
Harry the desert lion a victim of Namibia’s drought
Not even being famous or royal will protect you from Namibia’s crippling drought, writes John Grobler Namibia’s famous desert lion Harry, named after the British prince, has been s...
17 June, 2016 -
The great Karoo stand-off
Mark Olalde revisits the fracking debate, and finds both sides digging in for a protracted fight as legislation and the benefits of shale gas mining become murkier...
03 June, 2016 -
The uphill battle to save rhinos in Mozambique
American photojournalist Martin Totland travelled to the borderlands between Mozambique and Kruger National Park to investigate the latest in the anti-poaching war...
01 June, 2016 -
Hands off our elephants, Namibia’s minister warns
Amid growing human-wildlife conflict, Namibia’s environment minister sends out a strong message to farmers illegally killing elephants and other wildlife...
31 May, 2016 -
Zimbabwe’s elephant poaching citadel
Why is a dusty town near Hwange National Park making international headlines for the poisoning of elephants? Oscar Nkala unravels the networks and modus operandi b...
20 May, 2016 -
Elephant poaching on the rise in Kruger
Anti-poaching resources in the Kruger National Park are being stretched by a rise in elephant slaughters. Yolandi Groenewald spoke to the park's chief ranger abou...
09 May, 2016 -
How to steal an ivory stockpile
Zimbabwean parks employees allegedly managed to steal ivory from the Hwange stockpile since 2012 and export it to international trafficking syndicates. Oscar Nkala...
22 April, 2016 -
Chinese demand drives Zambia’s ‘amateur’ ivory gangs
Dwindling elephant numbers and heightened demand for ivory from Chinese trafficking syndicates are fuelling a cross-border poaching war in the Zambezi region. Oscar Nka...
12 April, 2016 -
Pirates threaten Botswana’s fishing industry
Illegal fishing in Lake Ngami in the Okavango Delta is a threat to species and local livelihoods. It could spark cross-border conflict with Zambia and the DRC, reports <em...
17 March, 2016 -
Poaching takes a toll on vulture populations
Deliberate poisoning of vultures by poachers is on the rise. If current trends continue, the Cape vulture will have declined by 98% in the next three generations, writes <e...
17 March, 2016 -
SA breeders buck the system
The sale of wildlife from South Africa to Angolan national parks sparked a row over the spread of non-indigenous species. It also raised renewed fears about Angola's critic...
16 March, 2016 -
The deadly rubies of Montepuez
Montepuez ruby mine has been turned into a 'militarised zone' where villagers are beaten and illegal miners are killed, reports Estacio Valoi...
15 March, 2016 -
Namibia’s secret ivory business
Oxpeckers Associate Shi Yi set out to investigate Chinese links in Namibia’s poaching crisis, and ended up in the middle of a sting operation that nabbed a former policeman...
14 March, 2016 -
Vietnam warning follows Oxpeckers exposé
In a move directly linked to an Oxpeckers investigation, the Vietnamese government has warned tour operators not to support illegal wildlife product processing workshops</s...
03 March, 2016 -
Lake Malawi in danger
A multimedia investigation by Mark Olalde exposes the threats Lake Malawi faces from climate change and overuse ...
23 February, 2016 -
Saving the world’s oldest protected estuary
A huge environmental restoration project aims to save one of the world’s most important estuaries threatened by climate change. Report by Yolandi Groenewald</st...
22 February, 2016 -
The heat is on Africa’s health
Heat exhaustion is likely to occur when the human body’s temperature rises above 38℃, according to a recent study by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)...
16 February, 2016 -
SA makes global history with highest temperatures
This new high was set in Vredendal, a small town in the Western Cape, where a maximum temperature of 48.3 ℃ was recorded on that date. The previous highest October......
16 February, 2016 -
2015 the hottest year ever recorded
Scientists say 2015 was the warmest year ever recorded. According to research conducted by the South Africa’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), near surfa...
16 February, 2016 -
SA’s maize crop down 36% due to drought
South Africa has issued a preliminary forecast of maize production for the coming harvest of 7.4 million tonnes – a drop of 25% from the already poor production levels of......
15 February, 2016 -
‘Death is part of the circle of life’
Should game reserves intervene to save wildlife during climate change? Yolandi Groenewald took the debate to a drought-stricken protected area that has been forced...
27 January, 2016 -
Open letter to the Minister on Tsitsikamma MPA
After Oxpeckers published articles on the opening of the Tsitsikamma protected area to fishing, a marine scientist sent us a plea explaining why this is a bad idea...
22 January, 2016 -
‘Drought could kill more rhinos than poaching’
Conservationists are warning that South Africa’s drought might represent a bigger threat to rhinos, and wildlife in general, than poaching. Yolandi Groenewald reports...
18 January, 2016 -
Murky deals, exploited communities
Nicky Rehbock, global campaigns officer for Corruption Watch and Transparency International, wrote this blog about the Mala Mala Files for Corruption Watch Connected</stron...
15 January, 2016 -
Small victory for marine protected area
A settlement prevents fishing in the Tsitsikamma marine protected area for now, but does not affect draft regulations for its re-zoning, writes Louise de Bruin</st...
12 January, 2016 -
What do MalaMala’s neighbours say?
How will the MalaMala deal affect other landowners in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve? Are they running for cover, or trying to be part of the bonanza? Michelle Nel reports...
21 December, 2015 -
MalaMala’s secret millions
Two years after SA’s most expensive land claim settlement was concluded, post-restitution arrangements for the MalaMala Game Reserve are taking shape. Who is really benefiting?...
21 December, 2015 -
Marine ‘Kruger park’ opened for fishing
Marine scientists are concerned that opening South Africa's largest marine protected area will rapidly reduce stocks of endangered fish species. They liken the move to open...
11 December, 2015 -
Trafficking market goes wild in Vietnam
Hongqiao Liu discovers how easy it is to smuggle illegal wildlife products through China’s porous border with Vietnam – where trafficking on an industrial scale happens openly...
27 November, 2015 -
Who are Namibia’s Chinese smugglers?
Chinese journalist Shi Yi followed the trial of four alleged rhino horn traffickers in Namibia, and then paid a visit to their home villages in China to investigate their backgroun...
25 November, 2015 -
SA’s driest season in 23 years
South Africa is in the grip of the worst drought since 1992. It is likely to get even worse in 2016 with the ever-increasing heat caused by El Niño, reports Tholakele N...
20 November, 2015 -
Namibia needs China’s help to curb poaching
The two governments need to collaborate on environmental issues to combat wildlife crime, says chief of the Directorate of Parks and Wildlife Management...
16 November, 2015 -
SA’s water bubble
Added to the crippling drought in South Africa are mining’s long-term impacts on water security. Mark Olalde investigates the costly legacy of historic mine waste<...
13 November, 2015 -
Inner workings of a Chinese poaching syndicate
Court evidence reveals the typical methdology deployed by one of five organised crime syndicates believed to be active in Namibian wildlife trafficking, reports John Grobler...
23 October, 2015 -
No (dis)closure on mining’s mess
It could take R30-billion to clean up thousands of abandoned mines scattered around South Africa. Who’s going to do it? And what are the implications for active and new min...
14 October, 2015 -
Chinese rhino poaching suspects in court
Details about the origins of a rhino poaching syndicate and their modus operandi are emerging in a Namibian court case. By Oxpeckers Reporters in Windhoek...
21 September, 2015 -
Chief row thwarts conservation dream
Ecotourism plans for a community-owned game reserve bordering the Kruger National Park are being scuppered by political patronage and the ‘rule book’ in Pretoria...
07 September, 2015 -
Caught in the crossfire: how cattle and Chinese mining interests are killing off Namibia’s black rhinos
Behind Namibia's poaching crisis lies a deadly combination of corruption, drought, Chinese mining and construction ventures, and land-hungry communal cattle farmers...
17 July, 2015 -
Will the Maputo ivory burn make any difference?
Mozambique incinerated 2.5 tons of confiscated ivory and rhino horn this week, but will it end the illicit trade fuelling rampant wildlife poaching? Not unless corruption o...
10 July, 2015 -
Climate change: How will South Africa act?
SA is party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and has to produce a plan of action before the end of the year. Steps taken so far have not been e...
22 June, 2015 -
Does SA have to deal with climate change?
As the second largest economy in Africa, is South Africa in a position where it has to act on climate change? It is the perfect moment to resolve that question, writes ...
19 June, 2015 -
Kruger rhino numbers in crisis, says expert
Respected wildlife veterinarian calculates there less than 3 000 white rhinos left in the Kruger. The figures will come under scrutiny in a High Court case, writes Loui...
08 June, 2015 -
On the trail of Maputo’s missing rhino horns
In a major breakthrough, Mozambican police seized 65 rhino horns and 340 elephants tusks. But then some of the horns went missing and Chinese nationals arrested were report...
27 May, 2015 -
Auction house boss jailed for rhino horn smuggling
In a case that highlights the part seemingly legitimate US auction businesses can play in the illegal trafficking of wildlife products, the head of a Florida auction house ...
21 May, 2015 -
West Coast mine tests new authorisation system
Controversial plans to strip-mine phosphate next to the West Coast National Park are forging ahead, despite confusion over the new One Environmental System. Marie-Louis...
27 March, 2015 -
US-Canada antiques link in trafficking scam
In the latest abuse of the antiques exemptions, Canadian dealer 'Tony' Guan was jailed for smuggling rhino horns, ivory and coral across the US border...
26 March, 2015 -
Halt the hunt of desert wildlife, say Namibia’s experts
All hunting in the drought-stricken north-western regions of Namibia should be halted pending proper assessment of game stocks, say conservationists...
09 March, 2015 -
Namibia’s national soccer medic linked to rhino poaching and murder
Windhoek chiropractor Gerson Kandjii faces criminal charges related to the poaching of four black rhinos and the murder of retired German industrialist Reinhard Schmidt. John Grobl...
06 March, 2015 -
Journalists arrested on rhino poaching investigation
Two international journalists investigating rhino poaching in Mozambique were arrested for espionage...
17 February, 2015 -
Mine lays claim to protected water catchment
The battle for Mabola is a test case for laws around prospecting and mining in a protected environment. The area is vital to South Africa's water security...
15 February, 2015 -
Strange death of a rhino protector
How did ‘Boxer’ die? Why are dead rhinos being found in the area his team patrolled? John Grobler digs up strange secrets surrounding the deaths of black rhinos in Kunene...
20 November, 2014 -
Kruger’s rhino poaching ‘highway’
Mozambican poachers are using sugar cane fields to sneak into the Kruger National Park, where shootouts with anti-poaching teams are peaking and rhino poaching statistics c...
07 November, 2014 -
Mozambique deal to combat poaching
An historic deal to tackle wildlife crime in Mozambique has been signed between the Mozambican government and the Peace Parks Foundation...
29 October, 2014 -
US charges SA hunters for illegal rhino safaris
Controversial South African hunter Dawie Groenewald and his brother, Janneman, charged in the US with fraudulently hunting 'problem' rhinos and laundering the horns on the black ma...
24 October, 2014 -
Kruger rhino sales go ahead
Moving rhinos out of the Kruger will go ahead, says SANParks, but due diligence is essential...
02 October, 2014 -
Official complicity in Mozambican elephant slaughter
Elephant poaching is happening on 'an industrial scale' in northern Mozambique. A year-long investigation by Estacio Valoi exposes official complicity in the slaug...
26 September, 2014 -
Mapping rhino poaching court cases data
Oxpeckers Rhino Court Cases interactive map provides an easy, accessible way to keep track of cases involving rhino poaching...
21 August, 2014 -
Protecting elephants could encourage forest growth in Central Africa
Central Africa need elephants to increase oxygen and food productivity, and to fight climate change, writes Israel Bionyi...
19 August, 2014 -
Kruger rhinos to Northern Cape
SANParks wants to move rhinos out of the Kruger to protect them from poachers. Contracts were signed with three hunting outfits based in the Northern Cape...
13 August, 2014 -
Vets to the rhinos’ rescue
South Africa is losing a species about which very little is known. Louise de Bruin talks to two vets whose mission is to save the rhinos...
01 August, 2014 -
Cases on the court roll
On the eve of his departure from the Police Ministry, Nathi Mthethwa released to Oxpeckers consolidated data on court cases involving alleged rhino poachers...
18 July, 2014 -
5-year sentence for US rhino horn courier
Another link in an international rhino horn and ivory trafficking ring between the US and China has been removed. Courier Ning Qiu admitted he sold raw rhinos horns worth about $3-...
25 June, 2014 -
Standoff at Mpumalanga parks
The theft of 112 pieces of rhino horn from the conservation authority is the centre of high drama among senior parks officials, reports Sydney Masinga...
07 June, 2014 -
Battle for the green heart of the West Coast
Is it worth digging up a biodiversity and heritage hotspot for fertilizer? Marie-Louise Antoni investigates plans to mine phosphate on the doorstep of t...
30 May, 2014 -
Community project loses its first rhino
A community game reserve lost its first rhino to poachers this week. Franz Fuls reports that even this model of the green economy is vulnerable to poaching ...
17 April, 2014 -
Kruger accord between SA and Mozambique
South African and Mozambique signed an accord in the Kruger National Park on April 17 that will see the two countries jointly tackling rampant rhino poaching...
17 April, 2014 -
Kenya: Oil metropolis threatens coastal paradise
The Kenyan government granted a US$484-million contract to a Chinese firm to put up the first three berths of a gigantic port project in a global heritage site. Local residents are...
15 April, 2014 -
Botswana bans canned hunts
The Botswana government banned canned hunting of large carnivores, in response to an Oxpeckers cross-border investigation. Lawrence Seretse reports...
01 April, 2014 -
Uproar over ‘canned’ lions
This photograph, taken during an undercover transnational investigation by Oxpeckers reporters in late 2013, went viral during a global campaign against canned lion hunting in Marc...
18 March, 2014 -
Mpumalanga’s ticking time-bomb
It's no coincidence that Mpumalanga, the province with the biggest concentration of coal mines, has the worst water quality water in South Africa. Sydney Masinga i...
14 March, 2014 -
Angola’s new resource curse
The Lobito Corridor between Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo is a game-changer in the new scramble for Africa’s mineral riches. Who’s building it, and why? John Grob...
19 February, 2014 -
Spotlight on Zambezi’s poaching problem
The Zambezi border region where five Southern Africa countries intersect is a wildlife trafficking hotspot. Hongxiang Huang investigated the smugglers' links to China...
11 February, 2014 -
Dairy to dust
Opencast coal mining operations in the Mpumalanga Highveld are destroying the livelihood, grazing and water of rural farmers. Franz Fuls visited an affected commun...
20 January, 2014 -
SA’s tigers going home to China?
Chinese official says the country is ready to take home the critically endangered tigers that have been bred and 're-wilded' in South Africa, reports Hongqiao Liu<...
10 January, 2014 -
Minister probes lion export
Tshekedi Khama dispatched a team of investigators to probe how lions exported from Botswana ended up in a canned hunting facility in South Africa. Investigation by Lawr...
07 January, 2014 -
Ways to kill a wetland
Opencast coal mining at Weltevreden pan in Mpumalanga will destroy important wetlands supporting agriculture and water birds. How did Exxaro get a licence – and is it legal? F...
20 December, 2013 -
Officials turn a blind eye to the smuggling of wild lions
South African farmers are using cattle-rustling routes to smuggle wild lions out of Botswana to supply the demand for lion-bone potions in the Far East. Investigation by <e...
09 December, 2013 -
Botswana minister in lion-trade scandal
Transnational exposé: In his latest lion deal, agriculture minister Christian de Graaff exported a huge shipment of lions to a canned hunting outfit in South Africa. By <em...
07 December, 2013 -
The Chinese ivory-smugglers in Mozambique
Who are the Chinese citizens smuggling ivory out of Africa, and how are they doing it? Oxpeckers fellow Huang Hongxiang went to Mozambique to investigate...
06 December, 2013 -
Ivory poaching in Mozambique
Conservationists say blood money from ivory trafficking was used to fuel tensions in the run-up to elections in Mozambique. Estacio Valoi investigates...
02 December, 2013 -
China’s view on opening trade in rhino horn
Wan Ziming, head of China’s Management Authority at CITES, spoke to Hongqiao Liu about his concerns over opening trade in rhino horn ...
26 November, 2013 -
Oxpeckers talks to Traffic’s Tom Milliken about China’s role in rhino horn trafficking
Rhino horn bangles a new fashion item? The global wildlife trade expert talks to Hongqiao Liu about China's growing appetite for horn, and what that means for the last rhinos...
19 November, 2013 -
United States grows as hub in global rhino horn smuggling
Rhino horn smugglers in the US hide behind an exception for trade in antiques that are over 100 years old. Oxpeckers tracked down some of the prime suspects abusing this law to smu...
10 October, 2013 -
Mozambique poachers set sights on Kruger ivory
Ivory poachers targeting Kruger's big tuskers are using the same smuggling routes set up to launder rhino horns to Asian countries...
08 October, 2013 -
We chat rhino horn
Online selling of rhino horn products is booming. Most of the trading takes place in Fujian Province, reports Hongqiao Liu...
03 October, 2013 -
Chinese connections in African ivory & rhino horn markets
For the first time, journalists from mainland China worked with African journalists on an undercover investigation into the Chinese connection with ivory and rhino horns market in ...
03 October, 2013 -
Rhino trafficking: Down the rabbit hole at Kruger
Rogue South African trophy hunters have been directly implicated in cross-border rhino poaching, according to reliable intelligence in 2013 ...
08 July, 2013
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