Kgomo-Khumo secures 892 convictions
Kgomo-Khumo operation within the Botswana Police Service has made a significant number of arrests with a total of 892 convictions made before courts throughout the country.
Assistant Director of Anti-Stock Theft Unit, Council Moyo voiced concern over the escalation of stealing and killing of pregnant cattle in and around the North Central area of the country.
In an interview with The Midweek Sun, Moyo said it is a disheartening trend that has emerged where stealing of pregnant cattle is the in-thing by organised syndicates who slaughter and dump unborn calves. He advised cattle farmers to safeguard their pregnant cattle against perpetrators. According to Moyo, since the inception of the Kgomo-Khumo Operation in 2018, there have been arrests and convictions.
“The participation and response of farmers on curbing stock theft has yielded good results as farmers are always willing to give information,” Moyo said. Moyo said the whole country has a problem of stock theft. He noted that geographically, in terms of policing Divisions and Districts, more stock is stolen in the Northern Central Division,
especially around Bobirwa area in the No. 10 District, where stock is mostly smuggled across the border into Zimbabwe.
He said that the southern division, that is Kweneng, Ngwaketse, Kgatleng in South Central are also hard hit. Moyo said in most of the cases recorded, suspects range from the ages of 16 to 70 years.
Moyo said cattle rustlers operate in syndicates, smuggling live animals and their produce into cities and towns for self-enrichment. He noted that individuals also steal livestock for personal consumption, payment of dowry and for rearing purposes, especially through Matimela (stray cattle).
According to Moyo, Botswana Police Service has no technological interventions to track stolen stock or even the culprits. He said the Department of Veterinary Services has introduced the ear tag system as a way of traceability.
He underscored the need for timely execution of stock theft cases, saying keeping exhibits for a long time was costly to government. He said since stock theft was a national concern, the police had deployed a lot of equipment, as well as experts in various fields to ensure a successful operation.