A joint effort and collaboration between Crime Prevention police and Stock Theft detectives at OR Tambo district resulted in the sentencing of four stock thieves to undergo five years sentence at Mthatha Magistrate’s Court on 21 July 2020.
The sentence follow after a case of theft of 22 sheep that was opened at Bityi immediately after the stock was stolen from the kraal of the owner.
Police who were doing patrol duties on 5 April 2019, saw a vehicle with four men loaded with live sheep, stopped it and enquired about the necessary documentation expected when one is transporting livestock. When the four men could not produce the necessary documents, they were charged for suspected possession of stolen stock.
Detective Sgt Mthandeni Skomela attached to the Mthatha Stock Theft Unit, who was assigned to this investigation combined the three various enquiries and presented evidence convincingly in court, resulting to the conviction of the two suspects. The driver of the vehicle who was employed to drive at the time turned as state witness while the fourth suspect who is still unwell would be tried separately.
Thandisizwe Fikizolo (31)and Elmond Mshwayi (33) were found guilty and today they were sentenced to undergo five years imprisonment for three counts of being in possession of suspected stolen stock.
Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lt Gen Liziwe Ntshinga welcomed the sentence. “This sentence would serve as a deterrent to other stock thieves while motivating our detectives to work hard to fight and eradicate stock theft. We would like to thank the good working relations between SAPS detectives, the NPA as well as the Department of Justice resulting to this court outcome,” she added.
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