Upsurge in stocktheft worries Tatitown police
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Thursday February 9, 2017 12:59
In an interview with Mmegi, Magalila said most affected areas include Mathangwane, Matobo, Natale, Matsitama and Marapong.
He said they are concerned that cattle owners turn their backs on their livestock and relegate the responsibility to caretakers. The police boss said that last year they recorded 60 cases of stocktheft, which included 57 cows, 93 goats, 29 donkeys and 19 sheep.
He noted that amongst the stolen livestock, they managed to recover 50 cows, 31 goats, five donkeys and 19 sheep, with statistics indicating that the most targeted are goats. “Goats are the most targeted domestic animals and sold at a high rate because they don’t have specific identification marks,” he said.
Magalila noted that donkey owners should also take care of their animals, especially during rainy seasons.
“Most of the people in rural areas use donkeys to plough, so some of the villagers steal donkeys in order to sell or use them for farming purposes or generally as a means of draught power,” he said.
He further said since January they have recorded three cases of livestock theft, which include three cows and 26 goats.
“We managed to reclaim all the stolen goats and returned 12 goats to the rightful owners. The remaining goats are still under police custody until we find the rightful owners,” he said.
He added that they have arrested two male suspects in connection with the stolen goats.
Magalila encouraged the pastoral farmers to look after their livestock and the villagers to report any strange movement of cattle in their communities.
On other matters the police boss warned people about the dangers of water after the recent heavy rainfalls. He said so far they have recorded a case of a 33-year-old man who drowned in a stream at Marapong village last week and warned people about the dangers of swimming in flooded rivers. He encouraged parents to take care of their children and discourage them from playing near flooded rivers.