Close to 500 cattle recovered in Westonaria, two arrests made
The herdsmen were approached by seven thugs heavily armed with handguns and automatic rifles.
Two people have been arrested in connection with the theft of almost 500 cattle in Zuurbekom, Westonaria
The arrests were made on Sunday, September 18 – two days after the cattle had been stolen from the Kloof number 1 Shaft in the area.
Also read: Stock theft rife in small rural town in Westonaria: Police visit owners
According to JP de Beer, chairman of the Stock Theft Information Centre (STIC) in Randfontein, the cattle in question belong to nine people and have since been recovered.
We received information about what transpired at the scene and we actively acted on that to conduct our investigations. We were informed that the herdsmen were approached by seven thugs heavily armed with handguns and automatic rifles.
“They tied them up and walked off with the cattle to a nearby farm,” said De Beer, who added that during their own investigation they were led to the farm where the cattle were hidden.
STIC actively investigates stock theft cases and performs operations to recover stolen livestock and prevent further cases of stock theft.
De Beer is also the chairman of the Rural Safety Committee in Randfontein. He said when they recovered the cattle, 37 had been slaughtered already.
Westonaria Police spokesperson Sergeant Audrey Sefara confirmed that two suspects had been arrested in connection to the incident and investigations are underway.
