Police Constable involved in stock theft dishonourably discharged
A reliable source has confirmed to AfriForum that a member of the South African Police Service (SAPS) from Standerton, who is facing charges of the theft of approximately R450 000 worth of cattle in the Standerton, Greylingstad and Perdekop areas, was dishonourably discharged from the police earlier this week. Constable Siyabonga Cindi of the Standerton Stock Theft Unit was arrested in August 2025 and first appeared in court on 2 September on charges of stock theft. In March of this year, he made another court appearance after he was implicated in additional stock theft incidents.
AfriForum welcomes Cindi’s dismissal and considers it a positive step towards eradicating criminality in relation to stock theft in the police.
“It is tragic that the very individuals who are supposed to protect farmers from this crime are also involved in stock theft – it is like making a wolf a shepherd,” explains Hennie Bekker, AfriForum’s Regional Coordinator for the Mpumalanga Highveld and compiler of AfriForum’s training on combating stock theft.
Bekker further emphasises that the latest crime statistics, which indicate a 9,8% decrease in the number of stock theft cases (when comparing the fourth quarter of 2025/2026 with the corresponding quarter in 2024/2025), do not reflect the serious scope and financial implications of this crime.
In the 2025/2026 financial year, according to SAPS crime statistics, a total of 23 251 livestock theft cases were reported, in which a total of 72 709 sheep, 50 805 goats and 49 775 cattle, as well as smaller quantities of chickens, pigs, donkeys, game and horses were stolen. Bekker maintains that the true extent of livestock theft is much higher due to underreporting of the crime, as farmers’ trust in Livestock Theft Units has reached a low point.
According to conservative estimates, the direct loss due to the theft of cattle, sheep, and goats is currently approximately R15 000, R2 500, and R3 000 per animal, respectively. This brings the total loss to the agricultural sector for the 2025/2026 financial year due to the theft of cattle, sheep and goats to at least R1 billion.
“Livestock theft has long since ceased to be just a small-scale opportunistic crime. It has now transformed into a sophisticated crime in which syndicates and even police members are allegedly involved – as in the case of Cindi,” explains Bekker.
“Farmers are currently under enormous pressure due to, among other things, the foot-and-mouth disease crisis and rising fuel prices. The additional loss due to the theft of livestock, or input costs to try to prevent the theft, places even further pressure on a sector that must feed the country’s people. Renewed zeal and political will to combat this crime is therefore in the interest of the agricultural industry as well as every citizen in the country,” concludes Bekker.
In the meantime, AfriForum encourages farmers to continue reporting livestock theft to the SAPS to ensure that a more accurate picture of the extent of this crime can be obtained.
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