With the festive season fast approaching and criminals finding ways to make quick money, the Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has issued a strong warning against those who steal cattle, slaughter them and sell the meat to unsuspecting buyers.
The Province of KwaZulu-Natal has experienced incidents where stolen cattle are slaughtered and sold in the streets corners, taxi ranks and other spots which are easily accessible to many innocent buyers. Many suspects have been arrested for stock theft up to this point and as part of the ongoing Safer Festive Season Operations and Operation Shanela, dedicated stock theft officers are on the ground to ensure that those who steal cattle and other stock are met with the relentless wrath of the law. A clarion call is also made to residents of KwaZulu-Natal to buy meat only from credible retailers so that they do not run a risk of finding themselves on the wrong side of the law.
“Our intelligence have alerted us about a stock theft syndicate which is making a living out of other people’s tears. We have deployed accordingly to the identified areas and we shall not exercise any leniency to either the seller or the buyer of meat from stolen cattle. Instead of buying stolen meat, be a responsible resident and report those who are selling suspected stolen meat. The buyer and the seller of stolen meat will face the same music and our teams on the ground are geared to ensure that the trend of stealing and slaughtering cattle comes to a halt”, said Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi.
To ensure that stock theft is prioritised and given the necessary attention, Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi will be addressing stakeholders during the Rural Safety Summit at the Cecil Emmet Hall in Vryheid from 16-17 November 2023. Farmers, farm workers, farm dwellers and other relevant stakeholders will engage on issues of stock theft, among other social ills which impact on the safety in the rural communities.
Residents are urged to report any suspicion of people selling stolen meat to the nearest police station or call the crime stop number 08600 10111. Alternatively, tip-off can be relayed via the MYSAPS App.
