WHITE RIVER – This promise was made during an emergency meeting between roleplayers in the timber industry and Gen Thulani Ntobela last week Friday. During the past two years statistics had shown there was a dramatic increase in the theft of timber poles and chainsaws. The newest trend is to dismantle the Bell Loggers that are used in the industry. “The parts are then either sold or most probably used in the rebuilding of stolen loggers,” said Mr Pieter Knipchild, chairperson of the Lowveld Timber Theft Forum (LTTF).
Despite these type of incidents becoming more and more violent local police had been slack in the fighting of these crimes.
Less than five percent of these crimes are properly investigated or even solved.
“The problem is that the police is not properly trained in these kind of crimes and often don’t understand what timber theft really is,” said a source in the industry who wants to remain anonymous.
Several sources confirmed that it has been almost impossible to open police cases regarding these incidents and that they have to beg and plead before anything is done.
“It is specifically the Graskop police station that are sometimes very unwilling to assist us,” the source alleged.
At the time of going to print Lowvelder had not reached a contact person at the Graskop station to get comments regarding the allegation but has launched an investigation into the matter.
Ntobela had promised this journalist that he will get behind the allegations. “We are very busy at the moment with crime flaring up across the province but I can assure you that these incidents of timber and chainsaw thefts will be investigated.”
During the meeting Ntobela encouraged the forestry roleplayers to contact him on a daily basis by sending through all incidents directly to him.
