Farmers from the Ermelo East Farmers’ Association struck a triple blow against livestock thieves and illegal dog hunters this past weekend, but these successes come with risks and demand discipline and cooperation, says Lion du Plessis, chairperson of Agri Mpumalanga and the Ermelo Rural Safety Forum.
By Jasper Raats, Senior Journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
Du Plessis says the first arrest took place after he heard on Saturday night that something was disturbing his sheep in the kraal where they are kept at night. Checking his security cameras, he saw intruders inside the kraal and alerted his neighbours.
“After the incident in Chrissiesmeer where Barend Rautenbach was attacked with a knife when he investigated cut fence wires at night, we here in Ermelo realised that we should never go out on our farms alone after dark if we suspect something is wrong.”
He informed both the police and his neighbours that there were thieves in his sheep kraal. They responded with a coordinated action from different directions, equipped with night-vision gear and bulletproof vests.
“Two thieves were in the kraal, busy slaughtering sheep. We caught one, but unfortunately the other got away. The police arrived quickly to arrest the suspect, who has already appeared in court in Ermelo.”
Du Plessis says this was the third time in the past month that farmers and members of the Ermelo Stock Theft Unit have caught and arrested stock thieves in the act.
“We work very closely with the police and receive excellent cooperation from the Stock Theft Unit, which, despite limited resources and manpower, continues to fight stock theft side by side with the district’s farmers.”
He says the stock thieves are well organised and slaughter on order. They cut up carcasses on the spot, pack the meat in plastic bags, and carry it to a pick-up point along the tar road. “These guys are part of a syndicate and know exactly what they are doing.”
The farmers invest from their own pockets in night-vision and safety equipment such as bulletproof vests. “You’re always on edge when you go out at night. You never know if the thieves are armed or when they might shoot at, you so we try to be as prepared as possible.”
Also read: Three police officers arrested over stock theft; Minister Steenhuisen welcomes action
Illegal Dog Hunting
Du Plessis says people using dogs for illegal hunting on farms are often armed. The farming community around Ermelo arrested two such groups on farms in the district on Sunday.
“One of my neighbours reported early Sunday morning that a group of people were hunting with dogs on his farm. We notified the police, and the farmers observed the hunters from a distance, taking videos of their activities.”
The group of 30 hunters, accompanied by about 50 dogs, was apprehended. They were only issued a warning after claiming they were unaware they were hunting on private land. “It’s important that farmers put up notice boards along their boundary fences stating that this is private property and that trespassers will be prosecuted,” Du Plessis says.
Henry Randell, another farmer on whose land a group of dog hunters was arrested later that day, says farmers should never handle any game carcasses when they encounter illegal hunters on their property.
The group of 24 dog hunters arrested later on Sunday morning on Randell’s farm was found in possession of a reedbuck. Randell got drone footage of the entire hunt. “You can see where the dogs bring down the antelope and how the hunters cut its throat.”
The footage was handed over to the police as evidence. In this case, the farmers did not touch the carcass, and the entire interaction with the hunters was captured on video from start to finish. This ensures there can be no claims that the landowner planted evidence.
Randell says it is crucial that farmers never act alone and that they record everything on video. “These are always large groups hunting with dogs, and they can easily claim that a farmer pointed a weapon at them or planted evidence. Then it becomes your word against 30 others.”
He advises farmers to invest in drones. “A drone is a camera in the air that no one can hide from. Thanks to drone footage, which we can hand over to the police as evidence, we’ve achieved great success in our district with the arrest and prosecution of illegal dog hunters.”
Also watch: Livestock theft: Fencing the problem
Drones Give Farmers the Upper Hand
Du Plessis says the dog hunters are almost always from KwaZulu-Natal. For them, the activity is less about the game itself and more about the dogs competing and the money wagered on which dog catches the prey first.
Most of the dogs are well-bred greyhounds worth between R12 000 and R20 000 each. Du Plessis warns that farmers should never shoot a dog, as this will almost certainly lead to retaliation.
In addition to being valuable, the dogs are also important evidence in prosecution, which makes it vital for farmers to capture as much video footage and as many photographs as possible of the suspects and their dogs on the scene.
Randell believes illegal dog hunting is a countrywide problem, but it is particularly common on Mpumalanga’s Highveld because of the proximity to KwaZulu-Natal, where most of these hunters come from.
He says hunting with dogs is legal under certain conditions, which is why offenders often claim they have permission to hunt on nearby state land or neighbouring farms and didn’t realise they were trespassing.
“Even where they do have permission to hunt, they must carry permits from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, otherwise they are hunting illegally.”
Such illegal hunters almost never arrive in their own vehicles, knowing that police can confiscate them if they are caught, so they travel by taxi.
Both Du Plessis and Randell stress that farmers must work closely with the police. No operation against livestock or game theft should ever be carried out without police knowledge and cooperation.
Randell adds that it is important to remain calm when confronting dog hunters. “Don’t swear at or threaten anyone; it can count against you in court.”
Also read: ‘Less murders welcome, but stock theft remains a concern’ – Limpopo farmers
