Government to prioritise rural safety in efforts to combat stock theft

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, General Bheki Cele, threw in his weight in support of the farming community and indicated that stock theft must be given the same level of priority and attention as a cash heist in the fight against crime. This follows a meeting he addressed in Queenstown, in the Eastern Cape, where victims of stock theft poured out their frustrations to the Deputy Minister about the brutal and fatal attacks on the farming community in the province.

General Cele was addressing the Eastern Cape Prevention of Stock Theft Forum together with the Eastern Cape MEC for Rural Development and Agrarian Reform, Mr Mlibo Qhoboshiyane. The forum was attended by stakeholders in livestock farming, representatives from the traditional leadership, leadership of the SAPS and victims of stock theft in the province.

The issue that was mutually raised by the meeting was cross-border stock theft, involving the neighbouring countries, in particular Lesotho. General Cele made a commitment to elevate the matter and engage with the political leadership of the criminal justice cluster in decisively dealing with the matter that is crippling livestock farming in the country.

Deputy Minister Cele also committed to arrange an urgent meeting with the Lesotho counterparts responsible for agriculture and policing to address the cross-border stock theft challenges. “Police statistics indicate a sudden increase in stock theft over the past few weeks and we strongly suspect that criminals are taking advantage of the political instability in Lesotho to serve their selfish interests. It is therefore imperative for the two countries to join efforts in bringing the stock theft challenge to its knees,” said General Cele.

A national Imbizo is planned to address rural safety challenges in the country. “This level of engagement with organised structures in farming must be elevated and bring everybody on board. Community participation must also be encouraged in dealing with rural safety matters. “Stock theft is at an increase because there is a market out there. This must be discouraged and culprits must face the full force of the law. Livestock farming contributes a significant percentage to food security, job creation and economic growth, and therefore, as government, we will ensure that we support the industry accordingly,” Cele added.