Another case of stock theft was reported to the Witbank SAPS. Apparently on May 18 an employee at Naauwpoort farms discovered that six cattle were stolen.
The livestock is worth many thousands of rands.
According to the owner of the farm Frankie Ntuli, he got the call from the night shepherd on duty. He was told that the dogs were barking at suspicious activity near the fence, however considering the fact that these thieves are most likely armed the shepherd did not investigate by himself.
In the morning they found that the fence was cut and after counting his stock the farmer saw that six of his cattle were indeed missing. He also mentioned that a neighbouring farm was also burgled and three cattle were taken there. The Witbank SPCA inspector said,
“We usually find the cattle with their ligaments cut to stop them from running away. The thieves also cut straight into the carcass through the skin and sell the meat.”
The SPCA sometimes collaborates with the SAPS when they recover stolen stock as the animals are almost always terribly abused and neglected by the stock thieves.
A case of stock theft has been opened by the police and they are investigating the matter. According to Farmers Weekly between 2013 and 2014 56 954 head of cattle were stolen in South Africa and only 22 070 were recovered. The article highlights the importance of marking livestock to assist police investigations. The article states,
“Brand all animals, keep a detailed record of identification documents and removal certificates, count stock regularly, report all cases to SAPS, and know your rights as a victim of stock theft.”
In case of an emergency or to report animal abuse please phone the SPCA emergency number on 083 657 2421 or to report a crime to the SAPS contact them on 013 650 5018.
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