Another of many stock theft incidents occurred on May 3 in the Nkangala area near Ngome.
The Ulundi Cluster Stock Theft Task Team, together with Ngome SAPS, embarked on an operation after receiving information regarding cattle that were stolen from a farm four weeks ago. The team searched the dense bushes and found five head of cattle tied to trees.
It was confirmed by the owner that the cattle were those that had been stolen from his farm.
A 19-year-old suspect was arrested and appeared in the Vryheid Magistrate’s Court, remaining in custody until his formal bail application.

Stock theft is a serious concern for the Democratic Alliance (DA), who have done a survey in April which revealed that 21 per cent of farmers in KwaZulu-Natal have experienced an increase in crime during the lockdown period. Another 39 per cent claimed they feel their personal safety and security has been compromised. A random survey among 45 commercial and small-scale farmers across the province showed that crime has increased, which includes theft of tools / machinery, theft of crops such as maize and vegetables, as well as stock theft.

This matter is of great concern to the DA, since so many people are going hungry and have experienced a loss of income, which will cause people to resort to desperate means to survive. The party foresees that criminals will use the lockdown to their own advantage.
The party has written a letter to KZN Agriculture MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, as well as the provincial MEC for Community Safety, requesting that they follow the following four steps as a matter of urgency to ensure continued food security and protection of food production within the province.

The steps include: support for security initiatives within farming communities through direct and indirect subsidisation; as well as increased allocation of resources to stock theft units.
They furthermore suggest smart deployment of neighbourhood watches, farm watches and Community Policing Forums (CPFs), and the establishment of task teams in conjunction with the Department of Community Safety in order to investigate and track all incidents of crime that affect food security, particularly in high-risk areas in the province.
The DA hopes that the MEC, her Community Safety counterpart and the Premier will acknowledge and implement these suggestions in the spirit of collaboration, as expressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

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