Maize thefts have hit certain parts of the Free State this year like a “flood wave”, with thieves – in groups of up to 20 – striking fields at night.
In a year when drought conditions are hitting maize plantations and farmers’ income hard, a quick survey by Free State Agriculture (FSA) shows that maize thefts have become a major problem.
Dr Jane Buys, security risk analyst at FSA, says farmers have reported maize thefts in March and April in 14 towns: Allanridge, Bethlehem, Bloemfontein, Bothaville, Bultfontein, Clocolan, Fouriesburg, Jacobsdal, Koppies, Odendaalsrus, Reitz, Sasolburg/Zamdela (especially the Wolwehoek area), Villiers and Wesselsbron.
“In many of the 14 areas, these thefts occur from a road (whether dirt or tar) when people steal the maize and put it in bags,” says Buys.
“Farmers usually do not report such incidents to the police and only see the tracks the next day when they visit their fields. Some farmers even see the people walking with the bags, but these crimes are seldom reported to the police and are not reflected in the police’s statistics and figures. It is absolutely not a priority crime for the police.”
Guards and security
Many farmers, especially in the maize triangle around Allanridge, Bothaville and Odendaalsrus, as well as in Fouriesburg, have hired guards to watch over their fields during the night. It’s a huge additional cost for farmers to keep their property safe.
Rudi Janse van Vuuren, FSA’s security representative in Odendaalsrus, says calculations of the additional security costs of seven farmers in his district indicate that they will spend R748 000 over four months – until their maize is harvested – to try to secure their plantations. One of the farmers’ total costs amount to R210 000. “And it’s an additional cost that you ultimately have to pay from your profits.”
Janse van Vuuren says he has had to install electric fences around his maize fields out of necessity. A neighbour did the same but the thieves simply cut the wire.
Powder keg for violence
Janse van Vuuren says farmers in his district have been using guards to watch over their maize fields for many years, but this year the thieves are showing up in groups. One or two guards stand no chance against them.
“We have had cases where a group of eight thieves surrounded a guard, assaulted him, robbed him, and ultimately forced him to undress.” Van Vuuren says in one case there were 20 people around the guard and they challenged him to call the farmer because “we are ready for him”.
In other cases, guards have been involved in the theft or intimidated to participate.
Janse van Vuuren says as soon as a guard contacts a farmer or a farmer sends a distress call about maize theft during the night, they try to help each other as much as possible. “But the situation can become very dangerous because you don’t know what awaits you, especially if a group of 20 people can descend on you.”
He says farmers are frustrated with the situation but must remain level-headed because it can easily lead to violence.
One thief arrested three times
According to Janse van Vuuren, they are grateful for the support they receive from police in Odendaalsrus and Allanridge when they report incidents. However, it is a huge frustration that when a case eventually reaches court it is simply dismissed because it is not considered serious enough.
“In one incident this year, the police have arrested a suspect, caught in the act, three times, but he is released each time and just comes back to steal again.”
Another challenge is to obtain proper evidence, because in this area groups of thieves arrive at the farm in taxis. Between eight and 15 people are offloaded, each with a bag that is filled, and when an alarm is raised everyone quickly climbs back in and the taxi drives away, says Buys.
According to Janse van Vuuren, the neighbourhood watch in Allanridge and Odendaalsrus also tries to assist farmers and notifies them when it sees people in town with shopping trolleys selling maize. “I don’t think we’re dealing with a syndicate here. I think it’s just unemployment, and people see the thefts as an easy way to make money.”
Buys says serious intervention by the farming community in collaboration with the police and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is needed to combat this crime.
“The impact and extent of this type of crime in the area indicate that the crime is taking place in an organised manner and that it should be classified and investigated as organised crime by both the police and the NPA.”
On donkeys over the border
According to Buys, farmers in the Fouriesburg area have reported that thieves from Lesotho target border farms. “They steal maize in bags, place it on donkeys’ backs, then move across the border. Where farmers confront them, they run away and the donkeys and maize are recovered.
“These types of incidents also occur daily in the nighttime hours. This is a big problem that must be addressed. It is currently not known if the thieves are armed, but this possibility cannot be ruled out.
“Farmers believe that this type of crime is increasing and is much larger than the impact and extent of last year. Farmers are extremely frustrated, they have to patrol during the nighttime hours. The thieves are also armed, and this poses a great security risk to them,” says Buys.
