17 May 2017

Rakops farmers have been urged to take the leading role in the security of their livestock.

Officer Commanding District No.8, Senior Superintendent Sarah Gabathusi said this recently during a kgotla meeting with farmers while on a campaign against stock theft in Rakops.

Senior Superintendent Gabathusi said most farmers had left the care and management of their livestock on herdsmen and spent long periods without checking on their livestock.

She added that most herdsmen were expected to supervise themselves on a daily basis, stating that that responsibility required discipline which most did not have.

She said it was disturbing that some farmers still did look after their livestock despite tht knowledge that even herdsmen were involved in stealing stock belonging to their employers and other farmers.

That, he said, had resulted in some stolen stock being detected by the police while owners were unaware.

Superintendent Gabathusi said livestock that had gone astray, unbranded and not earmarked and livestock stolen from watering points rendered livestock vulnerable to theft.

She noted that it was the farmers’ responsibility to be part of farmers committees and not delegate the responsililty to herdsmen.

Furthermore, she said the failure to follow the correct procedure by some farmers when  selling their livestock created a market for stolen stock.

Senior Superintendent Gabathusi said some farmers neglected the livestock sale permit and council abattoir procedures which were initiated to discourage stock theft.

She said what was disheartening was that some members of community had witnessed the shortcuts taken by farmers several times, but remain silent while there was action that could be taken against such farmers.

Senior Superintendent Gabathusi said a new trend of branding livestock with unregistered brands had cropped up.

She added that the trend was influenced by unofficial markets of the livestock and the shortcuts in the sale of animals as much as the slaughter of livestock.

Senior Superintendent Gabathusi noted that if the market for stolen livestock could be closed, perpetrators’ efforts could be frustrated leading to improved stock security.

One of the contributing factors to the increase in stock theft cases, she said, was the fact that most offenders escaped the wrath of the law.

Police, she said, were much concerned with reports of farmers selling their livestock on credit to people who later fail to pay as promised, adding that the greatest challenge with such cases was that they were reported when the animals had already been disposed making recovery impossible.

She also noted that Rakops was the most affected station followed by Letlhakane and Orapa respectively. She said the same criminals troubling Rakops had easy access to Letlhakane and Orapa policing areas.

Senior Superintendent Gabathusi said statistics indicated that in 2014, a herd of 56 cattle were stolen in Rakops, 44 in 2015 and 57 in 2016 while this year, from January to date, 25 have been stolen.

Former director of CID, Mr Willmon Karihindi said the police could only achieve their objective through support from farmers, saying police officers could not expose an informer but would assure them of protection. ENDS