Stock thieves point firearm at goat farmer

A caretaker at a farm, Anesu Munemo, said he was thunderstruck when stock thieves pointed a firearm at him and fled the scene when their attempt to steal goats had failed. The thugs left the carcasses of two goats in the kraal before fleeing in a white bakkie in the early hours of last Saturday morning. The incident happened at a smallholding near the Harper Islamic Centre, Musina.

Still shaken, Munemo explained to Limpopo Mirror on Saturday: “I make sure that every few minutes, I patrol along the kraal to ensure that everything is fine. That time, around 01:00, I was sitting outside and decided to go into my room to get something warm. I spent a few minutes in my room and went out with a torch in my hand to patrol the kraal.”

He said he was surprised when a man immediately pointed a firearm at him and commanded him not to come closer. “It happened so fast that I could not do anything but comply. The man with the firearm then turned back, and I realised that there were other men, about five of them, who were also in the kraal. When they realised that I could scream and summon help, they all ran away towards a white bakkie and fled, leaving the carcasses of two slaughtered goats in the kraal. Judging by their number, I believe these thugs wanted to steal a large number of goats and load them into their bakkie.”

The farm owner, Dennis Mbewe, said his caretaker had called him, and he had immediately gone to the farm. He added: “Seeing my two lifeless, beloved goats bleeding from deep cuts in their throats was a very painful experience. These two goats were part of my herd of 96 goats, and this means that I am now left with 94. It is very bad for me as an emerging farmer who is trying to make an honest living by selling my livestock. Stock theft is a very serious threat here in Musina, and if something is not done, some of us will leave farming because of the continuous loss. We breed goats, cattle, and chickens to sell for survival, but these thugs just want to come and take everything from us in these tough economic times.”

He said that this was the seventh incident within a year.

News in brief - Date: 13 April 2024

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