Farmers in North West, under the banner of the North West Active Farmers Association (NOWAFA), are set to march to the Office of the Premier, Lazarus Kagiso Mokgosi, on 1 October 2025 to hand over a memorandum highlighting their frustrations over escalating stock theft in the province.
By Lebogang Mashala, editor at African Farming
According to NOWAFA Secretary-general Patrick Mutla, the decision follows a series of meetings where farmers raised concerns over the alarming rise in livestock theft and the lack of decisive government intervention.
“Stock theft remains a major challenge and continues to affect farmers across the province. In recent years, we’ve seen a significant increase, which has impacted not only farmers’ daily lives but also the overall wellbeing of our communities,” said Mutla.
He explained that farmers are incurring heavy financial losses, along with additional operational costs for implementing security measures. Despite this, government response has been inadequate and law enforcement agencies have “failed to address the problem effectively”.
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Mutla said several engagements with senior South African Police Service (SAPS) officials have not yielded results. “Our efforts to collaborate with law enforcement to ensure perpetrators are apprehended have been fruitless. What is more disheartening is that, in many cases, investigators are alleged to be working with thieves,” he claimed.
He alleged that stock theft syndicates employ “runners” who are paid small amounts to commit theft, and corrupt officers enable large-scale operations without arrests.
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Awareness Campaign in Tsetse
As part of their buildup to the march, farmers will hold an awareness campaign on 24 September 2025 in Tsetse village, one of the province’s identified stock theft hot spots. “This dry run is significant because the community has been among the hardest hit by livestock theft,” Mutla explained.
In addition to theft, farmers are also demanding urgent attention to the management of pounds in the province. Mutla claimed that pound masters often disregard regulations, failing to notify livestock owners about impounded animals. This, he alleged, results in animals being left unclaimed and eventually sold for personal gain. “There are also allegations that some police officers are in collusion with pound masters to defraud livestock owners,” he added.
NOWAFA is demanding accountability and immediate action from provincial authorities. “As aggrieved farmers, we cannot continue to suffer silently. We are calling for intervention, transparency and stricter enforcement to protect our livelihoods,” Mutla concluded.
Also read: Stock theft – statistics show progress but also ongoing problems
