Police are clamping down on stock theft and this is evident by the number of recovered livestock and arrests made each week. A large percentage of these recoveries occur near the Bergville Upper Tugela area where goats seem to be favoured.

20 goats were seized last Thursday by members of the Upper Tugela Borderline police who were conducting crime prevention operations in the Sandlwana area. A vehicle was stopped and the 54-year-old man could not produce any transportation documents for the animals.
The man was arrested.

Police have launched an investigation to establish the ownership of the recovered goats. The man is due to appear in the Bergville Magistrate’s Court on charges for possession of suspected stolen property.

The recovery and arrest prompted KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni to send a stern message to livestock owners.

“Stock owners are once again urged to ensure that their livestock is properly marked as per Animal Identification Act, as this will ensure a return to the original owners if stock is recovered. We will continue to conduct operations that will assist in rooting out stock theft in our province,” she said.