Cattle theft concerns farmers

BAKENBERG - The area’s cattle farmers are tired of losing their live stock to organised crime and urge police to get cattle theft under control.

"We have lost faith in our justice system - stock theft is a losing battle," says Matlhora Matloa, a cattle farmer from the area who keeps counting his losses. He claims to have lost close to 70 cattle to, what he and other farmers in Bakenberg, describe as organised crime. Matloa blames government for the escalation in stock theft and explains they have a lack of conviction rates.

According to research by the University of the Free State (UFS), stock theft figures in South Africa might currently be underestimated by as much as four times.

Matloa and an informant were shocked to find one of his cows and a calf at a recent auction in Mokopane being auctioned off by a local auctioneer. Upon investigation, the specific stock was withdrawn from the auction and was impounded by the police. Eventually more cattle farmers from Tshamahansi contacted police and found their cattle at local and non local impounds.

Matloa says they have reason to believe that thieves strike at night. The suspects are dropped off during the day and wait patiently. The culprits move along the Mogalakwena River until they reach Tshamahansi. "It is not difficult to steal cattle because most animals are tame and move easily."

The farmers believe that a single group is behind the theft because most cattle buyers are either farmers or butchery owners who are familiar with stock transport requirements and market prices, explains Matloa. "When cattle are offered at a cheap rate, buyers should be suspicious," he says.

One of the challenges that victims of stock theft face is co-farmers not being organised. Branding of stock and registration thereof are not in place, Matloa added. All farmers do not maintain a proper head count to detect missing stock.

Another challenge says Matloa is the stock theft division being under staffed and overloaded with work leaving response time next to nil. Mokopane has only one office dealing with stock theft.

Northern News has spoken to Lt. Col. Alpheus Mokale, provincial stock theft coordinator about the farmers blaming prosecutors and the lack of convictions by claiming that most court cases only end up with a bail application. Farmers also say that most of the criminals are repeaters of the same crime and are well known.

Mokale responded by saying the police cannot be held accountable for court rulings. "The main problem lies with farmers themselves who neglect to brand their live stock," emphasizes Mokale." The police consider stock theft as a priority crime," he concluded.

Here's a few requests from the National Stock Theft Prevention Forum that could go a long way in assisting farmers:
• All livestock owners should register a unique brand mark in their name and to apply it to all livestock in their possession in the prescribed manner as described in the Animal Identification Act, Act 6 of 2002. 
• All livestock buyers, auctioneers, feedlots and abattoirs confirm livestock ownership and refuse to take ownership of livestock that are not marked or where the necessary ‘Document of Identification’ and ‘Stock Removal Certificate’ are not supplied.
• The forum requests that all role players in the red meat industry play an active role in stock theft prevention.

Visiting www.redmeatsa.co.za to read more about the branding of live stock.