Hekpoort Police recently arrested a man after he was found transporting goats that did not belong to him in a bakkie.
Hekpoort Police spokesperson Sergeant Gloria Maswanganye explained the man appeared in the Krugersdorp Magistrates’ Court on Monday, November 8 on charges of livestock theft.
The arrest came after members of Hekpoort Police stopped and searched a white bakkie that was fully loaded with goats,” she said. The 25 live goats were valued at R80 000.
Sergeant Johan van den Berg requested to see the driver’s permit to transport the livestock, and the man produced one that did not correspond with the livestock on the bakkie in terms of the branding and marking.
The stock theft unit was contacted to verify his permit and the man was then asked to follow them to the station.
Along the way the passenger got out of the bakkie and ran into the bushes on the R560.
“The 31-year-old driver was placed under arrest immediately for possession of suspected stolen livestock.”
Sergeant Maswanganye said preliminary investigations revealed that the goats belonged to a farmer in the Rustenburg area, and that a case for the stolen goats had already been opened with the Rustenburg Police.
Police are still searching for the passenger and are appealing to the community to please come forward with information that could lead to the arrest of the suspect.”
According to Maswanganye the Hekpoort Police station Commander Captain Tebogo Kgomo thanked the members for their vigilance and commitment, and also acknowledged and thanked Hekpoort farm patrollers and Oostermoed Security for their contribution to fighting crime around Hekpoort.
She urged the community to take note of some safety tips to help prevent livestock theft:
• Livestock owners should keep all fences and gates in proper condition to protect their livestock.
• Loading ramps in paddocks or on farms should be kept locked or obstructed at all times.
• If you consider buying an additional farm, remember ‘Absentee landlords gather no crops’. Rather try and buy land close to your residential farm.
• Prevent stolen animals being hidden on your property. Stock posts serve as ideal overnight stopovers to hide stolen livestock. Unknown livestock found at such posts should be reported to the police immediately.
• Livestock at stock posts should be counted by the livestock owner at least once a week.
• If employees at stock posts possess their own animals, a good preventative measure against stock theft (if involvement of employees is suspected) is to allow the animals to mix and graze together.
• Employees should mark their livestock properly according to the Animal Identification Act 6 of 2002, preferably by branding them.
• Be particularly watchful during full moon, weekends and at the end or beginning of a month, or during periods that you know from your own experience, when stock thefts (slaughtering for the pot) occur.
• Report unknown animals among your animals to the police and your neighbours immediately.
• Livestock owners should at all times report all livestock theft cases on their property immediately. The longer the delay, the less the possibility of achieving success in an investigation.
• Regular herding and counting of animals are of obvious importance. If it is not possible to count your livestock every day, try counting your animals at least twice a week on irregular days. Avoid any routine, especially at stock posts, as your employees may be informers to stock thieves.
• When considering applicants for employment, enquiries should be made at previous employers to establish the real reason why an employee had left his previous job. Enquiries should also be lodged with the police to determine whether the applicant has a criminal record; if so, establish what kind of criminal record the applicant has.
• Employees should be trained to pay attention to irregularities. Ask your employees to be careful about what they say in the presence of strangers regarding activities on the farm. Careless talk can lead to livestock losses.
• When animal speculators, and hide and bone buyers or livestock dealers from neighbouring countries are active in your area, report it to your stock theft unit immediately. Keep proper record of all prospective livestock buyers as soon as you enter negotiations.
• The necessity of a thorough stock register cannot be emphasised enough. Commit to paper as much details as possible and keep the register up to date yourself.
• Do not allow loitering on the farm or any idle and unemployed people to settle on your property. Strangers entering the farm or visiting labourers should first obtain your permission – implement a visitors control system, wherein all particulars of visitors to the farm are noted, whom they’re visiting and when they leave.
• It often happens that border livestock owners become involved in illegal trade with citizens of neighbouring countries in some or other way, such as renting grazing pastures.
• Stock theft cases often have to be withdrawn due to a lack of interest or reluctance shown by some complainants to attend court proceedings. Show interest and attend all court cases.
• Cooperate with the local police and stock theft unit, and do not work against them. Support them in their effort.
Suspicious people can be reported to the Hekpoort Police on 014 576 9100, the Crime Stop number on 08600 10111 or via the My SAPS app.
