DISANENG, NORTH WEST – Residents of Disaneng village in South Africa’s North West province have voiced urgent concerns over persistent livestock theft, alleging that some police officers are collaborating with criminals to undermine investigations.
Community members report that stolen cattle and other livestock are frequently moved across the nearby border fence into Botswana, complicating recovery efforts and enabling perpetrators to evade justice. According to residents, cases reported to local police stations often remain unsolved, fueling suspicions of internal corruption.
“We have lost confidence in what the police can do,” said one affected resident, who declined to be named but confirmed being a victim of stock theft. He explained that many community members no longer report incidents, fearing retaliation or believing authorities are complicit. Stolen animals, he added, are often slaughtered and sold within local communities, making detection even harder.
The village’s proximity to the Botswana border has turned it into a hotspot for cross-border criminal activity, including vehicle theft and trafficking. Residents emphasized that the unfenced or poorly monitored sections of the border facilitate the rapid movement of stolen goods between the two countries.
In response to growing pressure, community leaders recently met with Ryno Naidoo, Acting Police Commissioner of the North West province, to demand concrete measures to combat stock theft and address allegations of police misconduct. Naidu is scheduled to release the province’s fourth-quarter crime statistics, which are expected to highlight trends in rural and cross-border crime.
While authorities have acknowledged the challenge of livestock theft in rural areas, residents insist that meaningful action requires transparency, community-police trust-building, and improved border coordination with Botswana. Until then, the people of Disaneng say they remain vulnerable to ongoing theft and insecurity.
