The African Farmers’ Association of South Africa (Afasa) has encouraged Pietermaritzburg farmers to ensure their livestock is supervised 24 hours a day to combat the rising cases of stock theft.

Afasa uMgungundlovu regional chairperson Mbongeni Sikhakhane said KwaZulu-Natal has the highest number of stock theft cases in the country.

“One of the contributing factors to this is illegal shisanyamas. Cattle stolen in Pietermaritzburg are being sold in Durban,” he said.

He urged the justice system to impose life sentences on individuals convicted of stock theft, arguing that harsher penalties would serve as a strong deterrent.

“Livestock theft has devastating consequences for victims. We want justice to play its role in this issue. I am also a victim of this crime, so I understand the pain very well.”

“I lost 10 cattle in 2020, and no one was arrested. This is painful. It takes time to recover, and some farmers simply give up on farming because of it,” said Sikhakhane.

He added that police officers are trying their best to curb this criminal activity, but it is not enough.

“Farmers also need to work with private security companies. We suspect this is a syndicate. At one stage, Taylors Halt was ranked number one in the country for stock theft cases, and it looks like this may happen again. We are worried because losing livestock is a major setback for farmers,” he said.

In a recent incident, former Msunduzi Municipality mayor Themba Njilo from KwaMnyandu said poor visibility due to mist prevented him from fetching two of his cattle from the grazing land.

“I received a call notifying me that my cattle had been found slaughtered in a house still under construction, just a few metres away from my home. I reported the matter to the police, and fortunately, they managed to locate and arrest the suspects,” said Njilo.

He added that this was not the first time he had fallen victim to stock theft. “In August 2024, two cattle were stolen from my kraal. I am devastated over this incident. The two that were stolen last week were worth R30 000. We appeal to the government to increase the number of police officers dedicated to tackling stock theft,” he said.

Another victim, Siboniso Magoso from KwaMnyandu said he was still struggling to come to terms with the loss of five cattle, which were slaughtered by the suspects in October 2024.

“This was my children’s investment. I had Beefmaster, Boran, and Brahman cattle. The aim of keeping these breeds is that they fetch higher prices at auctions compared to Nguni cattle. I reported the theft to the police and provided pictures. The cattle were recovered in Pinetown,” said Magoso.

He added that while the incident had shaken him, he remained committed to livestock farming.

“I am not going to stop, even though this is a setback. Two of the cows that were stolen were pregnant. These criminals even steal goats,” he said.

uMgungundlovu SAPS spokesperson Sergeant Sifiso Gwala said police are aware of the ongoing stock theft cases.

“Operations are being conducted to tackle these cases. As a result, Plessislaer SAPS recently made arrests.

“Suspects were found with carcasses, which means that the case is no longer just stock theft but also possession of suspected stolen stock,” said Gwala.

“They are expected to appear in court again on February 18. SAPS often encounters difficulties when livestock is not branded. Stock theft incidents occur not only in KwaMnyandu but across the province. However, there are plans in place to address the issue,” he said.

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