The theft of livestock in the Masisi area, next to the Kruger National Park, is crippling local farmers.

This was stated by Mr Sunday Mpofu, chairperson of the Masisi Livestock Forum. Mpofu says the farmers have been losing cattle and goats to “thugs who poach our livestock and slaughter them and sell the meat to the surrounding communities of Sigonde, Gumbu, Bennde Mutele, Mutele A and B, Tshilamusi, Masisi, Tshenzhelani, Maramanzhi and Duluthuli.”

Mpofu says the problem of livestock theft has been happening since 2007 and most of the culprits are people who live at Masisi RDP houses.

He says the suspects also take the cattle to Zimbabwe, where they sell them. “As we are just situated next to the border between Zimbabwe and South Africa, we have discovered that some local people steal our livestock and sell them to Zimbabwe.

“Since last year, we have established a strong relationship with people from Zimbabwe and they now help us to recover our livestock whenever they arrive in that country,” says Mpofu.

Although some of the local communities have been helpful in terms of informing the farmers about the people who are responsible for stealing, Mpofu says it has been difficult for police to make arrests as most of the suspects are found without any meat in their possession.

On Sunday, the farmers met the community of the Masisi RDP houses and the community leaders, appealing to the suspects to stop stealing their livestock. Mpofu says the problem is becoming serious as some were now stealing donkeys, which they sold to a local game farmer, who feeds them to his lions.

Another meeting was also held between the farmers and the game farmer and he pledged that he would no longer buy donkeys from the suspected thieves.

A community leader at Masisi, Maanda Netshipale, says they will do their best to expose people who are stealing from the farmers, as the area relies on stock farming.

Anyone with information about the stealing of livestock can call Mpofu at 084 600 1432, Paul Ramakokovhu at 076 883 4578 or Mylord Mkukununde at 076 387 7819.