22 May 2022

 Botswana Police Service has announced plans to strengthen livestock protection to the level of banking institutions.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Dipheko Motube said in an interview Friday that livestock production was a cash generating mechanism and therefore required the police to up their game in curbing the escalating rate of stock theft.

 “We are very concerned and are dealing with many cases of calves which immediately after they are born get stolen,” he said adding the thieves often feed the calves with bottles. The reason the thieves were stealing claves was because “at present zero tooths are in demand.”

He said in the latest and fifth round of Operation Kgomokhumo, the police arrested seven suspected livestock rustlers.
 These included a 54-year-old man of Xeredom cattlepost near Orapa who they arrested on May 18 after he was found in possession of a calf suspected to have been stolen.
The following day they arrested three other suspects in connection with three calves and a cow on May 19.

The trio were a 49-year-old woman of Mmolawa Ward in Khumaga, her 56-year-old boyfriend of Moxiki Ward in Motopi and a 57-year-old butchery owner of Dimbo Ward in Motopi.
Mr Motube said they also arrested two men aged 24 and 32 in Mopipi after they were found in possession of stolen stock.

Both were from Phase One in Letlhakane and were arrested at the residence of the girlfriend to one of the men.
The two, who were brough before Mopipi Customary Court on Friday are alleged to have stolen two stray goats and transported them to Mopipi where, they killed one and left the other tied to a tree, said Mr Motube.

 They then went on to break into a shop from which they stole a 24 volts battery, tyres and cooking oil.
The two are out on bail. Assistant Commissioner Motube has advised farmers to monitor their livestock and not leave everything to their herdsmen. ENDS