06 Jul 2014

Livestock farmers have threatened to take the law into their own hands if government does not consider returning powers to Dikgosi to prosecute criminals who steal and kill their livestock.

The farmers echoed their sentiments during a one day workshop on broadening community participation organised by Tatitown police station for livestock farmers at Jamataka settlement and surrounding areas on Saturday July 5.

They said that there is a serious increase in stock theft cases in their areas and to their disappointment, the perpetrators are usually arrested and only to return the next day after being given bail by the courts of law.

Representing Semitwe and Marapong farmers, Mr Dominic Masalila lamented that although it is disappointing that suspects are usually their children who are known in the villages, the courts of law and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) always let them down by freeing culprits.

He said it appears as if in the court of law, the accused person has more rights as compared to the victim in the case of stock theft. Mr Masalila added that the DPP prosecutors always fail to put up reasons to object the defence’s plea for the accused persons to be granted bail.

Further, he noted that it also shocks them that often the same suspects on stock theft cases always fail to honour the bail conditions.

He said even when they are on bail, they always go back to commit the same offences they were arrested for. “This should ring a bell on DPP as well as government to come up with a better solution to such cases before farmers can be arrested for taking the law unto their own hands,” he said.

He pleaded with government that it was time Dikgosi were given powers to prosecute such criminals, who are giving farmers sleepless nights. He noted that some witnesses’ evidence is often dismissed on a point of technicality, which private lawyers always manage to point out.

Meanwhile, the Divisional Commander of North, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ms Diana Marathe urged farmers to continue working with the police to fight stock theft crime and appealed to them to form farmers associations to fight the syndicate of such crimes.

She said the police often face challenges in their investigations as members of the public are not forthcoming to make submissions regarding the committed crimes, even when they have full information. “Without your help, police investigations are compromised and it is important for you to help them fight crime, which troubles the community,” she said.

Ms Marathe said they cannot afford to reward everybody who comes forward with information, but it is important for the public to assist police with information, which could lead to the arrest of criminals.

On their suggestion that Dikgosi be given powers to handle stock theft cases, she said it is upon the farmers to take up their proposals with their Members of Parliament as they are the ones empowered to make laws after consultation with their communities.

She added that although stock theft cases are still high compared to the last two years, the numbers have gone down as the courts of law are pushing the cases despite shortage of magistrates assigned to stock theft cases. ENDS