AfriForum cracks down on suspected cattle thieves, seizes nearly R1 million worth of stolen cattle in Mpumalanga
AfriForum’s new training module in combating livestock theft has already borne fruit after members of AfriForum’s Delmas Hawks neighbourhood watch have been cracking down on suspected cattle thieves since Saturday and have seized 64 stolen cattle in two separate operations. The value of the stolen cattle is estimated at R960 000.
In the latest incident, the Delmas Hawks recovered eleven heifers that were stolen last night from a farm outside Delmas. The operation, which was launched at around 10:00 this morning in collaboration with the South African Police Service (SAPS), follows information received about the stolen cattle that were spotted in Botleng, outside Delmas. The police have since seized these cattle, which were found in Botleng with fresh blood on their ears (where the ear tags had been removed) and new brand marks. No one has been arrested in connection with this incident yet.
In an unrelated incident, the Delmas Hawks conducted inspections in collaboration with the SAPS’ livestock theft unit at two separate cattle auctions in Sundra this past weekend. This was done as part of the practical component of their training. At the end of the weekend-long operation, a total of 53 stolen cattle were seized.
During inspections at the auctions on Saturday, neighbourhood watch members identified nine cows that were suspected to have been stolen and that the suspected cattle thieves planned to sell at the auction. Immediately upon identifying these animals, the authorities issued instructions to refrain from auctioning them.
The SAPS took in one suspect for questioning in relation to the cattle. The SAPS’ livestock theft unit is now on the trail of two more suspects who are suspected of planning to sell stolen cattle at the same auction.
A farmer from Bethal has since reported the theft of 45 cattle to the SAPS’s livestock theft unit, and the nine auction kraal cows were successfully claimed as his property.
The arrested suspect pointed out to AfriForum and the SAPS the loading area of the stolen cattle on a site outside Hendrina. A further 20 cattle with their ears cut off were found at the scene. This mutilation was probably done to remove the cattle’s tattoos which could identify their rightful owner. It is suspected that the cattle came from a farm in the Hendrina district. A severed ear tag from one of the auction kraal cows was also found at the scene.
After a follow-up operation on Sunday, the SAPS, with AfriForum’s assistance, tracked down more cattle stolen by the same livestock theft network. Tracks were followed over a distance of approximately 20 km, but despite the suspected cattle thieves’ ingenious attempts to cover up their own and the cattle’s tracks, the neighbourhood watch, police members and the farmer whose cattle were stolen managed to outwit the thieves with meticulous tracking.
By yesterday afternoon, authorities had already recovered a total of 53 cows, including 33 of the Bethal farmer’s 45 stolen cows.
According to Hennie Bekker, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the Mpumalanga Highveld, there are still two suspects at large. “However, the weekend’s operation was a huge success, and in addition to the cows that were recovered, valuable information was also collected that points to the work of a possible stock theft syndicate. Forged cattle branding documents that were used to register the cattle at the auction as well as other personal documentation of one of the suspects are important pieces of evidence that will ensure that the net can be tightened around these suspected cattle thieves who are harassing farmers in the region,” explains Bekker.
The police investigation is currently ongoing. AfriForum is assisting the stock theft unit by providing information and drones if they are needed further.
AfriForum sharpens its skills to catch livestock thieves
Last week (18 June), AfriForum presented its first online training session for its brand-new training module on combating livestock theft. This new module aims to tackle livestock theft – a multi-million rand crime problem. Neighbourhood and farm watch members from all over the country tuned in for this session, which provided training on several critical issues in combating and identifying this crime, including livestock transport permits, livestock identification, scene preservation and livestock documentation and auctions.
The extent of stock theft in South Africa
At least 80 600 sheep, 55 700 goats and 53 600 cattle were reported stolen to the SAPS in the past financial year in South Africa. These approximately 190 000 head of livestock, as well as smaller quantities of pigs, chickens, game, donkeys and ostriches that were stolen and for which 25 606 complaints were lodged with the SAPS, form part of a crime industry that is no longer just a small-scale opportunistic crime. Over the years, stock theft has transformed into a sophisticated crime involving syndicates, posing serious risks to the financial survival and progress of farming in the country.
According to recent calculations made by AfriForum, stock theft cost the agricultural industry at least R200 million in direct losses during the fourth quarter of 2024/2025 (January to March 2025). Conservatively estimated, the theft of cattle, sheep and goats alone cost the industry approximately R880 million in direct losses, in the twelve months from April 2024 to March of this year. However, this amount does not include additional losses such as the loss of breeding potential. Experts estimate that only about 30% of stock theft is reported, which means that the actual extent of stock theft and the resulting financial losses are significantly greater than they appear at first glance.
