Look after your livestock – pleads police

Botswana Police Service's (BPS) public relations officer, Selebatso Mooketsi, made the plea while speaking to The Monitor, pointing out that taking care of livestock and branding was key in reducing livestock theft. The Police seem to be fighting a losing battle in their efforts to curb stock theft as rustlers continue to wreak havoc across the country despite efforts like anti-stock theft operation known as Kgomo-Khumo. Mooketsi said from April 22 to May 26, over a period of five weeks, they recorded 68 cases in which 151 livestock were involved.

They arrested and charged 82 people with stock theft. She said amongst these cases 19 have been registered before the Customary Courts and they have recovered 109 livestock. “We haven't recovered 11, which we strongly suspect were stolen and slaughtered for a ready market. Amongst these animals, cattle are the most targeted livestock. We have since established that there is a syndicate of herdsmen, stock theft criminals who have partnerships with butchery owners and street vendors, as they supply them with carcasses,” she explained.