The plea was made by Botswana Police Service’s (BPS) assistant public relations officer, Assistant Superintendent Selebatso Mooketsi currently behind the ongoing police’s Kgomo-Khumo anti-stock theft campaign. Mooketsi has observed with concern that most stock theft syndicates have the habit of targeting stray animals for their own benefit. “Members of the public should assist us to curb stock theft by reporting matimela to any council offices and Dikgosi. We have since observed that some criminals keep matimela (stray animals) in their kraals and then brand and mark their offspring. In most cases they end up killing the dams to the offsprings (cow) to destroy evidence,” she said.
Mooketsi stated that stray cattle are often slaughtered in the bush or in abandoned farms at night, where the heads and skins are disposed off and carcass is then transported to butcheries and other meat outlets. She further revealed that usually criminals steal stray animals, deface the original brand mark of the owner and then brand the animals with their own brand. “People should know that not reporting a stray animal is against the law, it’s a crime to keep, slaughter and sell cattle or any livestock that is not yours. Some people keep stray animals amongst their livestock so that they can breed and they brand their calves for themselves. “We continue to arrest and charge people after we have found them in possession of cattle and other livestock that they fail to account for something which clearly shows some people keep stray animals for themselves,” she said.
