About R3,667 million of livestock was lost only August 2018 in the Free State and the large numbers stolen indicate that stock theft is becoming increasingly organized. These are the most worrying observations when looking at Free State Agriculture’s (FSA) Safety Review for August 2018.
According to Dr Jane Buys, Safety and Risk Analyst of FSA, there were 24 cases where between 10 and 49 cattle were stolen at a time, and in four cases more than 50 cattle were stolen at the same time. “In only seven cases, only one animal was stolen,” she said. “The large numbers of cattle stolen at a time show that the organization of stock theft increases.”
Half of FS experience crime
FSA’s safety review for August 2018 indicates that 44 out of 88 towns (50%) in the province experienced crime incidents on agricultural land. This refers only to incidents known to the VKB FSA Safety Desk. It is divided into 98 livestock cases and 115 other crimes.
Of the 98 livestock cases, 1 079 livestock animals were stolen, of whom the number stolen in eight cases are not known. There were 346 cattle and 727 sheep, of which five cases included lambs, two pigs and four goats, stolen.
Thieves sell cattle at certain auctions
According to Buys, wires are cut in most of the livestock cases and stock taken to a certain point where it is loaded onto a truck and transported to the Gauteng area. “Altogether 44 auctions have been identified, which take place in Gauteng, the Free State, North West and Mpumalanga on a weekly basis, and are monitored where stolen livestock are sold,” she said. “Ten of these auctions are in the Free State, while 18 of them are in Gauteng.”
Towns along the border of South Africa and Lesotho are areas where stock theft is most common. Buys says it is being targeted increasingly, as well as towns close to the N1 to Gauteng.
Livestock are also found
Wednesdays (20 cases) and Thursdays (18 cases) are the days (when reports were made) on which stock theft takes place the most.
Only in 44 cases the MAS numbers of livestock stolen are known. It is therefore not certain whether the cases are reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS). In 20 of the 98 cases brand marks on animals have been identified, while in other cases they are not specifically mentioned. This means that farmers are increasingly starting to identify their livestock.
In 24 cases, a total of 232 livestock animals (105 cattle, 127 sheep) were found by SAPS, FSU, IPVVF, farmers and/or the farm guard. Only in one case has it been mentioned that an arrest was made. Cases must be monitored on databases at monthly meetings where MAS numbers are available on arrests and successful prosecution in courts.
The IPVVF, which operates between Gauteng, the Free State, North West and Mpumalanga, daily receives info on stolen livestock, distributed on a WhatsApp group, and retrieves it at auctions mostly in Gauteng.
“The sooner a theft, image of brand marks and info on livestock is spread on the WhatsApp group, the faster they can look out for stolen stock which helps to retrieve it,” says Buys.
Losses on stock theft during August 2018 can be estimated at:
- Cattle: 255 x R12 000 per animal = R3.060 million; 91 x R8 000 per calf = R728 000; Sheep 521 x R2 000 = R1,042 million, lambs 206 x R1500, = R309,000.
Livestock recovered: 97 cattle x R12 000 = R1.164 million, 8 calves x R8000 = R64 000; 106 sheep x R2000 = R212,000 and 21 lambs x R1500 = R31 500.
- Total losses of approximately R5,139 million minus livestock recovered R1,471 500 = R3,667 million for the month.
- This occurred only in 29 out of 88 towns in the Free State. The prevalence of livestock theft for August 2018 does not even account for a third of the towns in the province. The tax losses to the government on livestock can be estimated at almost R500 000, and this is only for one third of the towns in the Free State.