An ANC ward councilor in the Greater Giyani Municipality, Cllr Elias Ngoveni (49), is currently in the police holding cells for allegedly stealing cattle belonging to the speaker of the Limpopo Legislature, Dr Tshenuwani Farisani.

When Farisani realized that burglary and malicious damage to his property at both his houses in Polokwane and Khalavha were not ending last November, he decided to move his livestock to his other stand at Ha-Piet-Boy. However, shortly after moving the livestock, he discovered that seven of his nine cattle were missing. As police strengthened their efforts of bringing stock theft under control in the area, they found Farisani’s cattle at the bush near Mulenzhe.

Through their investigations, the police arrested an ANC councilor of the Greater Giyani Municipality, Elias Ngoveni, and his brother, James Ngoveni (39), for alleged stock theft. It was the arrests of the Ngovenis that led the police to arrest the disaster manager of the Department of Health and Social Development in Mopani, Mr Golden Shikwambane.

Shikwambane is alleged to have bought one head of cattle and slaughtered it during a ritual ceremony. When the trio appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on charges of stock theft last Monday, the ANC councillor was denied bail. His two accomplices were granted bail of R2 000 each. Last November, Farisani’s property to the value of R5 000 was stolen at his village home of Khalavha, allegedly by a local resident who was later arrested by the police.

* In a separate incident, the Greater Giyani Municipality suspended two of its senior traffic officials with full pay last Thursday, following an alleged scam of selling driver’s licenses. The two were arrested after allegedly being caught red-handed doing the illegal business. The two, Messrs Sammy Khumalo (37) and Mukondeleli Masia (33), are schedule to appear before the council’s disciplinary hearing committee very soon.