Stolen or not? Police confiscate 26 goats on their way to auction

Police in Mmametlhake, Mpumalanga, confiscated 26 goats that were being transported on a trailer on the back of a minibus. The driver said he had been hired to take the animals to an auction, but the police want the goats’ owners to identify them before they are released.

The goats, which had no branding, were confiscated at Kameelrivier B on Sunday.

Stock theft

This comes after numerous incidents of stock theft have been reported in the province.

Police seized the 26 goats when they spotted a white Toyota Quantum minibus pulling a trailer loaded with the animals.

The driver of the Toyota Quantum said he was transporting the stock to an auction after being hired by the goat owners from four different households.

The driver also told the police that the owners wanted to sell their stock because they were worried they would be stolen.

Police opened a docket and seized the goats as the driver could not provide any proof of ownership.

ALSO READ: R103m stock theft a year hurts Limpopo’s economy

Farmers urged to brand their livestock

Provincial Commissioner of the Saps in Mpumalanga Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela indicated that the police regard stock theft as a serious crime.

“More effort is being made to resolve this issue hence the action taken by the members of the Saps,” said Manamela.

Police urge owners of the seized livestock to urgently come forth and identify their own before the goats can be forfeited to the state.

Manamela also advised farmers to brand their livestock so that recovered animals can be easily identified.

ALSO READ: Free State farmers accuse cops of not caring about livestock enough

People who have had their livestock stolen and suspect that the seized livestock may belong to them can contact Lieutenant-Colonel Freddy Sepogoane on 079 499 2015.

Compiled by Asanda Mbayimbayi