Three sheep rustlers have been sentenced to eight years’ direct imprisonment by the Bethal Regional Court after being found guilty of stock theft following the theft of sheep from De Kranz Farm in February 2025.

According to police, the farm manager alerted the owner after noticing that gates to a grazing camp had been opened and several sheep were missing.

The owner followed tracks left by the suspects to the R38 between Bethal and Standerton, where it was believed the sheep had been loaded onto a vehicle.

The matter was reported to the Bethal Stock Theft Unit and assigned to Detective Warrant Officer James Mthimunye.

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The detective immediately launched an investigation and later that day informed the owner, Johannes Viljoen, that sheep matching the description had been recovered in eMzinoni.

Viljoen went to the scene, where he identified nine live sheep by their tattoo marks and distinctive cuts on the lower left ears, despite the ear tags having been removed.

A tenth sheep had already been slaughtered and was found behind a shack. Following the identification, police arrested four suspects, aged between 20 and 46, after they failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for having the livestock.

The accused appeared in the Bethal Magistrate’s Court on charges of stock theft before the matter was transferred to the Bethal Regional Court.

Mxolisi Dan Nkosi (22), Piet Fanie Mahlangu (36) and Daniel Cossa (35) were found guilty. Nkosi and Mahlangu were each sentenced to eight years’ direct imprisonment for stock theft.

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Nkosi also received an additional three-year sentence for robbery, which will run concurrently with his eight-year sentence.

Cossa, a Mozambican national, was further sentenced to three years’ direct imprisonment for contravening South Africa’s Immigration Act following collaboration between the police and the Department of Home Affairs.

A warrant of arrest has been issued for the fourth accused, Kgothatso Billy Kotelo (32), who is still outstanding.

Police have urged livestock owners to mark their animals in the prescribed manner and to report stock theft immediately to improve the chances of recovering stolen livestock and securing successful prosecutions.