By REGINALD KANYANE
Livestock theft continues to be prevalent, especially in rural areas. Some of the local farmers said from the earliest times, stock theft has had far-reaching consequences.
One of the livestock theft victims, who refused to be named for fear of reprisal said: “We call on law enforcement agencies to increase the momentum in a fight against livestock theft. Livestock theft has a negative impact on our livelihoods, especially to the rural communities.
“We are sick and tired of livestock crimes in our area. I had 25 goats, but they were all stolen at once. So, we call on law enforcement agencies to crack the whip against livestock theft. The livestock is our living wealth and often our only source of income and sustenance.”
He further said when their livestock is stolen, many households and subsistence farmers lose their livelihoods. He added that what is disappointing is that most livestock theft cases are not thoroughly investigated.
“Either the case is being thrown out of court or the accused persons are not found guilty due to insufficient evidence,” he said.
Another victim of livestock theft, who also refused to be named for fear of reprisal shared the same sentiments. He alleged that the perpetrators commit these crimes with impunity because they know that they are well-protected.
“Again, there is a well-orchestrated syndicate that is operating across the North West province. But, what makes us uneasy is that some police officers are conniving with these individuals.
“When one opens a case against these perpetrators, the police do not put more effort in investigating these cases. We would like to see overhaul in various police stations. Police officers should be transferred to other police stations to disband the syndicate.”
Meanwhile, the North West police spokesperson, Col Adele Myburgh said: “A joint operation by Makgobistad Visible Policing and Stock Theft & Endangered Species (STES) Unit members, resulted in the discovery of 49 goats and two sheep. It is alleged that a report was received on Thursday at around 11:30, regarding theft of goats and sheep at a grazing field in the vicinity of Makgobistad on 10 April 2024.
“Following the report, a search was launched at auctions and grazing fields. With assistance of farmers and Disaneng Headman, the goats and sheep were found at around 2pm at the grazing field in the Disaneng village. Despite not being brand marked, the livestock were identified by the owner’s shepherds.”
The North West Deputy Police Commissioner for Crime Detection, Major General Dintletse Molefe, thanked all the units involved and members of the community for their cooperation that led to the recovery of the livestock.
Meanwhile, the https://scielo.org.za/website said: “The literature indicates that animal livestock contributes significantly to the livelihoods of people living in the rural areas of developing countries and South African rural communities are no exception. The literature also asserts that among the difficulties faced by South African livestock farmers in general, stock theft remains one of the biggest challenges.
“To add to this argument, Geldenhuys (2006: 34) explains that stock theft is an escalating, unnerving and destructive reality, facing or affecting all sectors of the farming community. This includes the commercial farmer, the stud breeder, and emerging farmers, who own only a few herds of cattle (Geldenhuys, 2009:49).”
TaungDailyNews 