"Look what the heartless thieves did to me!" said the angry famous traditional healer, Peter Baloyi (44), while pointing at the blood-stained ground at Shadani-Lungane, near Makonde.

This comes after stock thieves stole his two bulls worth more than R10 000, shot them in the bushes and loaded the carcasses and vanished, on Saturday night.

Baloyi, who works at Thohoyandou Standard Bank as a security guard, said he was asleep when the incident took place. "I did not hear anything at night and as usual, I went to the kraal to check on my cattle on Sunday morning. I was shocked when I realized that there was a hole in the kraal fence. While I was still studying the situation, I saw two cattle bells (dilogo) on the ground. When I counted my cattle, I realized that two were missing." Baloyi said he went to tell neighbours about his ordeal. "My neighbours told me that they heard gun shots at night in the local bush. We then moved around the bush and made the gruesome discovery. Blood was all over the ground and the thieves loaded the cattle by dragging them next to a deep hole where construction workers draw building sand. I then informed the police, who immediately came to work on the scene."

Baloyi said the thieves left behind candles that they were using for light at the scene. "They did not want to use the head lights of their vehicle because they feared to attract attention. The wheels of their vehicle are clearly marked on the sandy soil. There are also indications that they were wearing canvass shoes and boots which left trails at the scene." The angry Baloyi says he will never rest until the culprits are apprehended and face the full might of the law. "They will definitely have to pay for this. No stone will be left unturned. It took me many years to rear the cattle but they just came and took them in five minutes. I will not rest. I believe they are the same people who stole my goats and chickens last year, but they must know that their days are numbered. Finish and klaar!"

Insp Nkanukeni Raedani of the Thohoyandou police confirmed that police are investigating a case of stock theft. He added: "We are following the leads and it will not take a lot of time before we arrest the culprits."