Councillor falls victim to cattle theft

Van Tonder, who breeds Dorper sheep on his plot in Dwarskloof, said he was phoned by his neighbour to inform him there was a Nissan bakkie parked next to the road loaded with sheep at about 1.40am on Saturday, Randfontein Herald reported.

Van Tonder immediately went out to see if it was his sheep that were loaded on the bakkie. “I found that all my adult sheep were stolen and only the lambs remained,” he said.

He proceeded to get into his own Double Cab bakkie and drove to where the Nissan bakkie was parked, as he wanted to stop the suspect from leaving.

“When I got out of my vehicle I saw my sheep stuffed into the bakkie. Eight sheep were found on the bakkie, and six were found tied up in the veld. The suspects cut three fences and carried the sheep over two small holdings to where their bakkie was parked,” he added.

“I also discovered a plastic bag with what appeared to be poison that they brought along to silence the dogs, but fortunately they dropped it and could not use it. The police took the poison as evidence, confiscated the Nissan bakkie and arrested the driver,” said Van Tonder.

Randfontein police spokesperson Captain Appel Ernst said all sheep, some in the vehicle and others tied up in the veld, were retrieved. The suspect will appear in court today.

In a separate incident, the Mokopane Regional Court sentenced a man to 80 years’ imprisonment for cattle theft in February.

Tinus Groenewald, 37, from the East Rand stole about R2 million worth of cattle and goats in Limpopo and the North West in July and August 2013.

– Caxton News Service