10 Apr 2023

A total of 428 cases of stock theft were reported in Palapye area in the past four years.

Answering a question in Parliament, the Minister of Defence and Security, Mr Kagiso Mmusi said out of the 428 cases, three were successfully prosecuted. 

He said of the remaining cases, 50 were pending before court, 125 cases undetected, closed warrant were issued for 114 cases, 11 cases were withdrawn before court and 225 cases were still under investigations.

Mr Mmusi said KgomoKhumo which was launched at Shakwe village on February 20, 2019 covered Palapye, Maunatlala, Seolwane, Tobane, Tshimoyapula, Mokgware and other areas.

He explained that KgomoKhumo was a focused operation intended to buttress existing stock theft interventions.

Currently, Mr Mmusi said, there were anti-stock theft units at division level, districts and stations assigned to specifically deal with incidents of stock theft on daily basis.

Mr Mmusi said with resources permitting, the intention was to rollout KgomoKhumo operations to areas that were hard hit by incidents of stock theft before the end of the year 2023.

“The Palapye area will be amongst those considered for the operation together with other equally deserving areas,” he said.

Mr Mmusi also confirmed that the Botswana Police Service had seized three firearms following confrontation between farmers and suspected livestock rustlers, which occurred on February 13 and investigations into the matter were on-going and hopefully would be concluded before the end of the month.

He told the House that the Stock Theft (Amendment) Act, 2019, Section 8, stipulated that a police officer making an arrest of a person charged with an offence specified under this Act may, at the time of the arrest, seize any vehicle, offensive weapon or any other equipment used in the commission of the offence.

The same Act at Section 3, stipulated that the maximum sentence that could be imposed was 15 years without the option of a fine, he said.

“Considering the above, and taking into account the fact that the Act was enacted in 2019, which is relatively recent, there is currently no consideration to further tighten laws governing stock theft.  

Notwithstanding the above, my ministry will continue to monitor the situation and act accordingly”, he said.

Palapye MP, Mr Onneetse Ramogapi had wanted the minister to state statistics of stock theft in Palapye for the last four years.

He also asked the minister to state the number of reported cases against successful prosecution and if he would consider bringing the KgomoKhumo operation to Palapye and surrounding areas.

MP Ramogapi further asked the minister if he was aware that crime committee for Tamasane, Patikwane had been disarmed by the police.

In addition, Minister Mmusi was asked if he was not considering tightening the laws of livestock, so that the property used in stock theft could be confiscated and by increasing the sentence to 20 years in prison. ENDS