KZN police to crack down on stock thieves

With stock theft historically increasing as the festive season approaches, the South African Police Service (SAPS) division of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has sent out a stern warning to anyone engaging in the theft of livestock, especially in the rural areas.

Despite experiencing an overall 5,5% decline in reported stock theft in the country according to the 2023/24 second quarter crime statistics, KZN and the Eastern Cape were still affected by more than 1 500 incidents of stock theft from July to September 2023.

According to KZN police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Netshiunda, with the festive season fast approaching and criminals finding ways to make quick money, provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi had issued a strong warning to those planning to steal cattle, slaughter them and sell the meat to unsuspecting buyers.

Netshiunda said KZN experienced incidents where stolen cattle were slaughtered and sold at street corners, taxi ranks and other spots that were easily accessible to many “innocent buyers”.

“Many suspects have been arrested for stock theft up to this point, and as part of the ongoing Safer Festive Season Operations and Operation Shanela, dedicated stock theft officers are on the ground to ensure that those who steal cattle and other stock are met with the relentless wrath of the law.

“A clarion call is also made to residents of KZN to buy meat only from credible retailers so that they do not run a risk of finding themselves on the wrong side of the law,” he said.

Mkhwanazi said police intelligence had alerted them to a stock theft syndicate.

“We have deployed accordingly to the identified areas and we shall not exercise any leniency to either the seller or the buyer of meat from stolen cattle. Instead of buying stolen meat, be a responsible resident and report those who are selling suspected stolen meat. The buyer and the seller of stolen meat will face the same music, and our teams on the ground are geared to ensure that the trend of stealing and slaughtering cattle comes to a halt,” he said.

To ensure that stock theft is prioritised and given the necessary attention, Mkhwanazi addressed stakeholders during the Rural Safety Summit at the Cecil Emmett Hall in Vryheid recently.

Farmers, farmworkers, farm dwellers and other stakeholders were engaged on issues of stock theft, among other social ills, that impacted on safety in the rural communities.

Residents are urged to report any suspicion of people selling stolen meat to the nearest police station or call the crime stop number 08600 10111. Tip-offs can be relayed to the police via the MYSAPS app.