Various communities in and around Uitzicht outside Lephalale in Limpopo have expressed concerns about increased incidents of livestock theft in their villages and farms. The farmers and police had met at the local community hall to find ways to curb the crime.
Farmers and community policing forums from Gilead, Matlala and Tolwe say they have lost a herd of cattle, goats, and sheep between 2019 and 2023.
They have resolved to form a Waterberg Safety Forum to deal with livestock theft. Its chairperson Lucky Bambo says they will start conducting operations ahead of the festive season.
“We are going to make plans for the operations for December, but we started from now onwards. We are going to make plans for the operation of the shopping complex, and the villages. People are going to get different roadblocks on the way. We work hand-in-hand with the police, the farmers, the community, and the forums,” says Bambo.
Meanwhile, some livestock farmers have hailed the formation of crime crime-busting forum saying it will help curb livestock theft.
“Currently the crime around the farms is not as much as what it used to be. We are working together with Waterberg safety forum and Mr Bambo and we’ve got our own farmers union that we do our safety and close in cooperation with the SAPS. In 2019 they stole 21 of my livestock and I was left with 15. A few months later I got sick, and I was hospitalized. Unfortunately, when I came back from hospital, I found that all 15 sheep were also stolen, and they were not found until today,” a farmer said.
