The North West MEC for community safety, Wessels Morweng, has raised concern about police corruption, alleging that some officers were involved in livestock theft.
Morweng said this on Wednesday after addressing a community policing indaba at the Mmabatho Civic Centre.
He said the police were accused of stealing impounded livestock kept at a private pound in Lichtenburg.
“They [livestock owners] have indicated that this is where alleged corruption by members [of the police] is taking place,” said Morweng.
“I am going to launch an investigation as far as that is concerned.”
Morweng, however, said the skyrocketing number of farmers who lose their livestock at the hands of criminals would soon come to an end.
Third-quarter crime statistics
“Stock theft is going to be one of our priorities. When you speak about livestock, you talk about people’s economies.
“There is somebody out there in Pitsi Disulejang, or Piet Plessis, who is dependent on his or her livestock for survival.
“Once you tamper with somebody’s survival, you are tampering with that somebody’s economy and that person’s immediate income.”
The North West is one of the top 30 police stations in the country for stock theft investigations, per the third quarter police crime statistics for the fiscal year 2023–2024.
Taung had the highest number of cases, registering 55 and ranking ninth in the country and first in the province.
The Mmabatho police station, which has registered 46 cases and ranks 15th nationally and second provincially, comes next.
Sheep were the most stolen, followed by cattle and goats.
Morweng said his department would use an integrated government approach to deal with stock theft.
Farmers not equipped to report crime
“We only have one [pound] in Lichtenburg, and it is private, and when you get cattle from as far as Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, you must take them there, and they will be there without the owner of the livestock, and I am told that you are given a certain number of days, and when you get there, the livestock has been sold.” Morweng said.
According to Morweng, the province has rural areas, and farmers there are not equipped to notify the police as soon as a crime occurs.
“If we can have these pounds where they are accessible to communities, you will know that once it has been 24 hours and you do not see your livestock, the first place is to go to the police, who will take you to the pound to verify your livestock.
“So, in that way, we are able to deal with the alleged corruption that the communities are alleging,” he said.
Morweng did not shy away from admitting that the approach used to arrest persons who steal those animals may not always work.
“One of the ideas is that we must use technology, but that does not come cheap. The white farmers have cameras, but I have not engaged with them.
“We are going to request a meeting with them and see how best we can assist them as the government so that we can use their services to be able to track these livestock thieves. It’s much easier that way.”
Crime-fighting measures
Stock theft is a serious concern, according to Thabo Makoa, the secretary of the North West Youth in Agriculture and Rural Development.
Makoa said farmers have resorted to various measures to deal with stock theft.
“We have now organised community patrols, invested in security measures like fencing and surveillance systems, and worked closely with local police and community policing forums,” he said.
However, these efforts were often not enough, given the organised nature of many theft operations, he added.
Kgokgole village, outside of Ganyesa, is home to Dalton Mookudi, who claims to have been a victim before.
“Five of my cattle got stolen last year. I once thought of selling all of them, but I changed my mind,” said Mookudi.
“I joined a group of farmers that deals with stock theft in the area, and things are getting better.”
