A 43-year-old farm manager was sentenced to direct imprisonment for stock theft after he was found guilty of selling cattle belonging to his 78-year-old employer over a time span of almost two years.

Jacobus Alexander Diedericks appeared before the Potchefstroom Regional Court on May 4, where he was sentenced to ten years direct imprisonment, of which four years were suspended.

The crime happened at Roodekop farm near Ventersdorp between 2017 and 2019. The owner discovered that his some of his cattle were missing after demanding from Diedericks to show him his whole herd.

It then came to light that Diedericks was selling his employer’s cattle from about 2017 until 2019.

Amogelang Malwetse, spokesperson of Dr Kenneth Kaunda District SAPS, says that after the case was reported, the Stilfontein Stock Theft Unit did a splendid investigation leading to the arrest of Diedericks and the recovery of 25 stud cattle in Randfontein near Johannesburg.