TZANEEN – Livestock owners in the Tzaneen and Maake areas are increasingly frustrated by rising livestock theft, with some questioning whether police are doing enough to investigate cases and bring suspects to justice.

The problem forms part of a wider increase in livestock theft across the Mopani district, with farmers reporting losses of cattle, goats and other livestock.

‘They are not taking DNA’

Heinrich Kubannek, a game farmer from Deerpark near Tzaneen, said he had become a victim of the ongoing theft and accused police of failing to follow basic investigative procedures, including collecting DNA evidence.

“They are not taking DNA,” Kubannek said.

He also criticised delayed police responses, saying crime scenes were often compromised before officers arrived.

“Sometimes when we report a theft case, they come two days later. By that time, the evidence is gone, the tracks have been blown away by the wind or washed away by rain, and there is no blood left because wild animals have either eaten the carcass or the evidence at the scene has disappeared,” he said.

Information not followed up

Kubannek said farmers sometimes provide police with information and leads, but these are not always followed up, leaving them frustrated and out of pocket.

The problem is also affecting livestock owners in the Maake area, where a dedicated livestock theft unit commander is based.

Police say there are actively addressing the problem

Police, however, maintain that they are actively addressing the problem. Lieutenant Colonel Mbhazima Petrus Chabalala, who heads livestock theft investigations in the Giyani area, said police regularly engage livestock owners and encourage them to brand their animals to make identification easier.

“There are many stray animals, and we are often unable to identify their owners. Thieves take advantage of that situation,” he said.

Cases lost in court due to lack of identification

Chabalala rejected claims that police were inactive, saying arrests were being made, but prosecutions sometimes failed because owners could not identify their animals in court.

“Due to non-compliance by livestock owners, cases are lost in court because they fail to identify their animals during court proceedings,” he said.

He said police conduct weekly operations to trace wanted suspects and raid butcheries, abattoirs and auction sites in an effort to recover stolen livestock.

Wildlife cases prioritised

Cases involving wildlife are prioritised and referred to the National Prosecuting Authority in Polokwane, where a senior advocate oversees them, according to Chabalala.

What farmers should do

He urged livestock owners to report thefts immediately and follow up with police if cases do not progress. He said unit commanders’ offices were available to address complaints.

The Mopani district has two livestock theft unit commanders, based in Maake and Giyani: