Klerksdorp Record, Klerksdorp - As the Christmas holiday approaches, members of the community and various sectors of the society are urged to be vigilant and work with the police in the fight against crime.
Stock theft is one of the crimes that tend to escalate during this period. In a recent incident in Bloemhof, the police were alerted of two stolen bulls worth R160 000. “Apparently the bulls were going to be slaughtered for N initiation ceremony at Boitumelong and a police team descended on Bloemhof over the weekend.
“They arrived where one of the animals was tied to a tree. Upon seeing the police, the men in the vicinity walked away and the bull was recovered and handed over to the owner, who was elated by the response of the police. No arrest was made and investigations into the matter are underway. The second bull was recovered earlier in the week,’’ said Col Adele Myburgh, police spokesperson.
Farmers and livestock owners are urged to apply the following safety hints:
* Keep all fences and gates in proper condition to protect the livestock. The employment of a specially trained employee can be considered for daily fence patrolling to see to it that holes in and under fences are repaired. Inspect these reparations yourself.
* Loading ramps in paddocks or on farms away from direct supervision should be kept locked or obstructed at all times.
* If you consider buying an additional farm, remember, “absentee landlords gather no crops”. Rather try and buy close to your residential farm.
* Prevent stolen animals from being hidden on your property. Stock-posts serve as ideal overnight stopovers to hide livestock. Unknown livestock found at such posts should immediately be reported to the SAPS.
* Livestock at stock posts should be counted by the livestock-owner him/herself, at least once a week.
* Many court cases are lost because of disputes regarding the proper identification of animals. If an animal is marked with a registered brand or tattoo, disputes will be avoided. Employees should properly mark their livestock, according to the Animal Identification Act, preferably by branding them.
* Be particularly watchful during the full moon, weekends and at the end or beginning of a month, or during periods that you know from your own experience, when stock thefts (slaughtering for the pot) occur.
