By Carien Kruger
Members of AfriForum’s Delmas Hawks neighbourhood watch recovered 64 stolen cattle worth approximately R960 000 in two separate operations.
Delmas Hawks have been cracking down on suspected livestock thieves since Saturday and AfriForum says this shows its new training module in combating livestock theft is already bearing fruit.
“In the latest incident, the Delmas Hawks recovered 11 heifers on Monday morning, which were stolen on a farm outside Delmas on Sunday night,” the civil rights organisation said in a statement.
The operation on Monday morning was carried out in conjunction with the police and followed information that the stolen cattle had been seen in Botleng outside Delmas. AfriForum says the police seized these cattle, which had fresh blood on their ears where their ear tags had been removed. The cattle also had new branding marks. No one has yet been arrested in connection with this incident.
Stolen cattle found in auction pen
In an unrelated incident, the Delmas Hawks conducted inspections in two separate cattle auction kraals on Sundra last weekend, as part of the practical part of their training and in collaboration with the police’s stock theft unit, and seized 53 stolen cattle.
Nine auction kraal cows were successfully claimed as the property of a farmer from Bethal who reported the theft of 45 cattle to the police’s stock theft unit. A suspect who was arrested pointed out the loading location of the stolen cattle on a site outside Hendrina to AfriForum and the police. A further 20 cattle with their ears cut off were found at the scene.
AfriForum says the cattle were probably mutilated in this way to remove their tattoos, which link them to their rightful owner. The cattle are believed to come from a farm in the Hendrina district. According to the statement, a severed ear tag from one of the auction cows was found at the scene.
Follow-up operation yields more stolen cattle
After a follow-up operation, the police, with the assistance of AfriForum, by Sunday located more cattle stolen by the same stock theft network. “Tracks were followed over a distance of approximately 20 km. Despite the suspected stock thieves’ ingenious attempts to cover up their own and the cattle’s tracks, the neighbourhood watch and police members and the farmer whose cattle were stolen, succeeded in outsmarting the thieves thanks to meticulous tracking,” says AfriForum.
By Sunday afternoon, a total of 53 cows, including 33 of the Bethal farmer’s 45 stolen cows, had already been recovered.
According to Hennie Bekker, AfriForum’s district coordinator for the Mpumalanga Highveld, two suspects are still at large. “However, the operation was a huge success, and in addition to the cows that were recovered, valuable information was also collected that indicates the work of a possible stock theft syndicate.
“Forged branding documents that were used to register the cattle at the auction, as well as other personal documentation of one fugitive suspect are important pieces of evidence that will ensure the net can be tightened around these suspected stock thieves who are harassing farmers in the region,” says Bekker.
The police investigation is ongoing. AfriForum is assisting the stock theft unit with information and drones if it is further needed.
Skills honed to catch cattle thieves
AfriForum presented the first online training session of its new training module in combating livestock theft on 18 June. The organisation says neighbourhood and farm watch members from across the country tuned in for the training on issues such as livestock transport permits, livestock identification, scene preservation and livestock documentation and auctions.
Livestock theft costs farmers millions of rands
In the police’s latest financial year, at least 80 600 sheep, 55 700 goats and 53 600 cattle were reported stolen to the police. “These approximately 190 000 heads of livestock, as well as smaller quantities of stolen pigs, chickens, game, donkeys and ostriches, about which 25 606 complaints were lodged with the police, form part of a crime industry that has long since ceased to be just a small-scale opportunistic crime,” says AfriForum.
Livestock theft has become a sophisticated crime, often involving syndicates. The crime poses serious risks to the financial survival and progress of farms. AfriForum estimated that livestock thefts cost the agricultural industry at least R200 million in direct losses from January to March this year.
“Conservatively estimated, the theft of cattle, sheep and goats alone cost the industry approximately R880 million in direct losses in the 12 months from April 2024 to March this year. This amount does not include additional losses such as the loss of potential growth.
“Experts estimate only 30% of livestock thefts are reported, which means the true extent of livestock thefts, and the resulting financial losses, is significantly greater than it appears at first glance,” according to the statement.
