Nine goats were allegedly stolen from a Moteti kraal on August 28, bringing the Nkabinde family’s total losses to 30 animals over 19 months.

The latest raid follows the loss of 21 goats in a similar incident in February last year.

The repeated thefts have left the family counting a significant financial loss, with each goat estimated to be worth about R2 000 in the region.

Thieves cut razor wire to reach kraal

Family member Beauty Nkabinde said the goats had been released into the bushes to graze the day before the latest theft and returned to the kraal later that afternoon. She said the family discovered the following morning that 10 goats were missing.

“We discovered that the razor wire around the wall had been cut. We believe the goats were stolen over the wall,” Nkabinde said.

Nkabinde said traces of vehicle tyres were also found near the damaged section of the wall, leading the family to believe that a vehicle may have been used to transport the stolen goats.

According to her, a neighbour found one of the goats, which likely escaped during the theft, and kept it safe.

Goats found in Mmotwaneng Village

Community members subsequently searched for the missing animals, suspecting that some could have been taken to Mmotwaneng Village.

Nkabinde said three of the family’s goats were recovered from a homestead in the village.

“We had to fight to get the three goats. My spirit is broken. I had stress and almost had depression because of the loss of my family’s livestock,” she said.

Nkabinde added that her family was not the only one affected, claiming that she knew of at least five other families in the area who had recently lost goats.

She called for action against those responsible.

Police stock theft unit investigates case

According to Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, the matter was reported to the police and a case was registered with Dennilton SAPS.

“On August 30, police recovered three of the missing goats at one of the households at Mmotwaneng Village in Moteti, in a kraal,” he said.

Ledwaba added that the family that had the goats claimed they had no idea where they came from.

“The matter is under investigation by the Marble Hall Stock Theft Unit,” he said.

Nkabinde thanked Dennilton SAPS and the stock theft team for working with community members to search for the stolen livestock.