The Democratic Alliance welcomes a recent SAPS cross-border operation which has resulted in the recovery of more than 200 stolen animals from an area stretching from Bergville in KwaZulu-Natal to Phuthaditjhaba in the Free State.
During 2017/18, KZN recorded the highest number of stock theft cases in the country, with a staggering 6 322 incidents reported. This is costing the provincial economy billions of Rands every year and must be dealt with decisively. Incidents of stock theft are highest near Bulwer, Ixopo, Mpendle and Mzimkhulu as well as areas bordering Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland. Meanwhile, the negative impact of stock theft on the financial viability of farms, in particular small scale farms, can have devastating effects with the loss of even one or two animals affecting profitability and growth.
KZN’s alarming stock theft figures and the even worse recovery rates should be cause for concern to the ANC-led provincial government and it is critical that steps are taken to prevent communities from taking the law into their own hands.
It is on this basis that the DA has written to both KZN’s MEC for Agriculture, Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, and MEC for Community Safety, Mxolisi Kaunda, (view here) calling on them to work together to ensure that the number of cases of stock theft is drastically reduced. We have also made the following suggestions:
- Proper monitoring and implementation of the Animal Identification Act, 2002 (Act No. 6 of 2002). The Act requires the proper identification of animals which will assist police and the courts to ensure conviction in cases of stock theft
- A properly resourced and capacitated stock theft unit in order to deal with evolving organised crime
- Assistance for small-scale farmers when it comes to proper fencing for their farms, the tagging or branding of animals and education on stock registries and preventative measures and;
- Increased border security with more patrols and larger numbers of units deployed along hotspot areas.
The DA believes that these measures will go a long way towards reducing stock theft crime in our province. We remain committed to ensuring that government responds to the needs of our province’s agricultural sector.