23 Oct 2016

The Minister of Defence, Justice and Security Mr Shaw Kgathi says his ministry is considering tightening the law on people who file cases and later drop them for objectionable reasons.

Mr Kgathi’s comments followed Serowe principal magistrate Mr Ishmael Molobe’s revelation that four out of 10 cases of stock theft were dropped because the defendant and the accused said they had reconciled.

This transpired at a stock theft pitso organised by Botswana Police northern division at Mosetse on Thursday.

He said such claims of reconciliation contributed hugely to the escalation of stock theft as perpetrators continued to steal and bribe without the fear of being charged.

He therefore cautioned victims of stock theft that privileges of out of court settlement will not be entertained in the near future.

Minister Kgathi highlighted that between 2013 and 2015, stock theft cases rose from 2 195 to 2 263 in 2015 with the number of livestock involved also increasing from 6 646 to 7366.

“This is worrisome and calls for collective efforts to fight stock theft crimes and this can only be possible if reconciliation prospects are closed,” he said.

He continued: “For us to win the fight, we are going to tighten the screws and curb any loophole used by someone to entertain crime.”

In addition, minister Kgathi pointed out that, considering the economic value of the beef industry in Botswana, the government was committed to facilitating a conducive environment for the prosperity of the industry so that it could continue to benefit communities and the national economy.

He added that the beef industry had become the backbone of the economic diversification drive; hence the need for law enforcement units and community partnerships to protect the beef industry.

Meanwhile, Magistrate Molobe appealed to farmers to retrace their footsteps and become true farmers instead of being part time farmers.

“I am saying this because today, it appears herd boys are more of the owners of the livestock they look after than their employees; they know everything happening at the cattle post more than the real owners,” he observed.

And, with such powers, the herd boys end up being in control to the extent of making sales without the owners’ acknowledgement or knowledge.

He therefore appealed to the farmers to change their ways and attitudes about their livestock. ENDS