STOCK farmers on Platfontein farm, situated next to the Barkly West road, are at their wits’ end following a number of stock theft incidents.
A cattle farmer, At Lourens, who rents the land with three other farmers, said yesterday that he once again became a victim of stock theft after one of his bulls, which he says is valued at R50 000, was slaughtered and another animal was injured.
“We are four different farmers who are renting this farm from the San people. I am farming with cattle, the others are farming with sheep as well as cattle. I have been farming on this land for the past 10 years and have been a victim of stock theft on several occasions,” said Lourens.
“Early this (yesterday) morning when we got to the kraal we saw that the bull was missing. We immediately went in search of it and came across droplets of blood in the sand. We followed the trail of blood and found the dead bull under a tree on the farm.
“It was clear from the wounds inflicted on the animal that the perpetrators had stabbed it several times with an assegaai. Noting the footprints in the sand as well, it is clear that the perpetrators chased the bull from the kraal to the spot where they slaughtered it.”
Lourens said that the perpetrators only cut a small portion of meat from the dead bull.
“Only a chunk of meat was cut from the leg of the bull. The slaughterers left the entire bull as is. I suspect the sun rose and they might have been afraid someone will catch them in the act. It was totally unnecessary to kill such a huge and pricey animal seeing as the perpetrators only walked away with meat worth a few rands,” Lourens said while looking at the carcass of the bull.
He added that another one of his animals was also targeted during the night.
“One of my cows was left with a hole in her side and her intestines hanging out after she was stabbed with an assegai. That cow has a two-week-old calf. If there’s internal bleeding or if the intestines were ruptured by the assegai, we will be forced to put the cow down.”
Lourens said that he has lost thousands of rands due to stock theft.
Lourens said that he was at his wits’ end.
“This problem is just carrying on and on. I reported all my incidents to the police but none of them were solved. We are also not getting any help from the authorities to help to fight in the matter.”
Lourens said the farmers believed that people from the poverty-stricken community of Platfontein were responsible for the incidents.
“The people in Platfontein do not have work and many of them are impoverished. We know it is not the people from Roodepan who are responsible as the stock thieves used assegais and set traps in order to catch the animals.
“All farmers in this area are affected by the ongoing stock theft. The emerging farmers are hit the hardest by this problem. If this problem carries on then one will have no other choice but to leave this place.”
A farmer from Nooitgedacht, Michael Hall, agreed that poverty is at the root of the problem.
He added that they had tried interventions to solve the problem.
“The farmers, the community of Platfontein and the police held meetings to address this problem. One of the most annoying features about the ongoing theft of animals is that the slaughterers cut the fence.
“They cut a hole to get onto the land and then cut another part to exit. We spent many hours fixing fences.”
Hall said that the police alone could not solve the problem.
Police spokesperson, Captain Olebogeng Tawana, urged farmers to closely monitor their stock.
“This (yesterday) morning we received a complaint regarding a bull reported to have been slaughtered near Platfontein. However, the owner did not open a case as yet. Should he open a case it will be investigated,” said Tawana.
“We will continue to fight stock theft in the Province. The farmers are requested to work in partnership with the police. The livestock owners are encouraged to count their stock on a regular basis, as this will assist them to keep the counting register of their livestock.
“The livestock should be tattooed at all times, brand marked, this will assist the police during the investigation when the livestock is reported stolen.
“The enlistment of herdsmen will assist in the reduction of stock theft,’ Tawana added.