The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Limpopo Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba has once-more directed that, the joint approach on the prevention of incidents of stock theft in the form of outreach programs, be re-activated across the Province due to the sporadic incidents of stock theft which are still prevalent in some Station areas.
Following this directive, the program has started led by the Saps Provincial Head of Specific Crime Investigations Colonel Alpheus Mokale accompanied by the Provincial Commander of Stock Theft Unit, Lieutenant Colonel Mafokwane in the Mahwelereng Cluster, at Basterspad village on Wednesday 19 February 2020.
The second campaign for February 2020, was conducted at Segole village in the Gilead Policing area also under the Mahwelereng Cluster on Wednesday 26 February 2020.
The campaign was supported by the Saps Provincial Communication and Liaison Services Team led by the Provincial Commander of Media Relations Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe accompanied by the Section Head of Media Centre Lieutenant Colonel Mamphaswa Seabi. In attendance, was the Saps Mahwelereng Cluster Commander Brigadier Malahlela, the Saps Gilead Station Commander Captain Ngoasheng with their management Teams, the Traditional Authorities, the Farmers Associations, the local livestock forums and members of the community.
Colonel Mokale addressed the audience on the types of livestock and the importance of brand marking. He also covered areas pertaining to the NPA, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Transport relevant to the livestock.
Colonel Mokale further shared the following safety hints to the attendees:
Take full care of your livestock register
Report all stock theft incidents immediately to the nearest Police Station.
Brand mark your livestock accordingly (many cases are lost in courts because of disputes regarding the proper identification of animals)
Be watchful during full moon, weekends and month ends.
Report unknown livestock to Police immediately
Cooperate and work together with the local SAPS and stock Theft Units and not against them.
Non compliance on the animal identification Act by livestock owners
Livestock not looked after
Untrustworthy herd boys
Stray livestock all over which sometimes becomes dangerous to the road users.
The importance of the animal pounds
Bush slaughtering
Buying of stolen livestock during the family events.
The danger of buying meat randomly.
Colonel Mokale made the following recommendations to the audience:
Joint awareness campaigns by all Departments to be held e.g NAP, SAPS, and Department of Agriculture etc.
Joint Operations to be conducted by all these Departments
Selling of livestock, the owner must submit ID copy, Brand Mark Certificate as requirements.
Colonel Ngoepe elaborated on the following issues:
Community Based Crime Prevention initiatives such as:
Neighbourhood watch
Street committees
Community Police Forums (CPF)
Prevention of mob attacks and killings.
Attack on police and vandalizing of state properties.
Informer’s reward
Report stock theft thieves and suspicious movements of unknown motor vehicles and people.
During this campaigns, the Stock theft information brochures were distributed together with the relevant contact numbers.
These Community outreach programs are still underway across the Province.
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