14 Jan 2021

 Farmers at Mosalakwane lands in Bobonong constituency have conceded their complicity in stock theft either by direct involvement or concealment of information.

While alleging that police officers too could be complicit in stock theft by forewarning the suspects of impending raid, farmers pointed accusing fingers at themselves.

Speaking at a meeting addressed by Member of Parliament for Bobonong, Mr Taolo Lucas, on Tuesday, some farmers accused others of fueling stock theft by failing to report the cases. 

Others were accused of protecting the perpetrators. 

Farmers revealed that in cases where suspicions of stock theft were reported to the police, suspects would always be forewarned of impending police raid.

While stating their displeasure at each other for protecting the suspects, farmers revealed that some parents accepted stolen goods without question. 

At times the parents would even protect their children by withholding information key to cracking the case.

Although the farmers blamed themselves, they also criticised police officers for late response to reports of crime. 

Sometimes, the farmers alleged, some police officers delayed in attending to the reports, a move the farmers suspect was calculated to aid the suspects to evade arrest or even destroy evidence. 

One resident, Mr Thomamo Malemenyane requested the police to desist from revealing too much information while investigations were fresh. 

He claimed that the move defeated efforts to attain justice since perpetrators hatched ways to outwit the police based on the information provided. 

Though the farmers portrayed Mosalakwane a stock theft infested lands, Bobonong police station commander, Superintendent Paul Seoko, said he was not aware of the purported high crime though he admitted knowledge of the rumours.

Mr Seoko said that his office received a single stock theft report in 2019. 

However, Supt Seoko said opined that the incidents might have gone unreported because farmers protected each other.

While Mr Seoko agreed that farmers could be protecting known thieves, he also indicated that there was a known cattle rustler from Mabumahibidu who the farmers protected, a claim the farmers murmured in agreement. 

Mr Seoko stated that while they were still tracking the ‘protected thief’ the other known stock thief was prosecuted and sent to jail.

He accused the farmers of fearing to take responsibility against theft. 

Regarding accusations against his officers, Mr Seoko promised to sweep his offices clean of any information leakage. 

“There are instances when we fail to nab criminals and illegal immigrants even when we raid their places at 3am. We don’t know how they got to know about these raids, but if this leakage emanates from my office I will plug it,” said Supt Seoko. Ends