An 80-year-old Beit Bridge resident, who stole 72 cattle to the value of R360 000, was sentenced to an effective 36 years in jail.

The case was finalised shortly before the festive season 2012.

The cattle belonged to local villagers. The animals were stolen while they were grazing at Dodieburn Ranch. The suspect, Makhalima, was arrested during a recent anti-stock theft operation at Zezani village outside Beit Bridge. During the operation, the police recovered more than 100 stolen cattle.

Daniel Makhalima of Ngoma village pleaded not guilty to four counts of stock theft, but was convicted by local magistrate Ms Gwineth Drawo. He was sentenced to nine years for each of the four counts, bringing to 36 the total number of years he will spend in jail.

Makhalima’s 14-year-old son, who faced the same charges, was acquitted, due to the failure by the State to link the boy to the offence.

The prosecutor, Mr Jabulani Mberesi, said that between August last year and 1 March this year, Moyo and his son teamed up with Polite Ndlovu, Witness Moyo and Tshengu Moyo. They then went to Dodieburn Ranch outside Beit Bridge, where they spotted the complainants’ cattle grazing.

The court heard that Moyo and his accomplices drove the animals to their homesteads in Ngoma where they penned them. They dehorned the animals and tampered with the brand marks. Acting on a tip-off, police descended on the Makhalima’s homestead and arrested him, leading to the discovery of nine of the stolen cattle, to the value of R45 000.

Some of the animals were found penned at Makhalima’s kraal while others were kept at his field.