Limpopo police confirm increase in livestock theft

LIMPOPO – A livestock farmer from Makhitha is devastated after discovering the remains of two of his cattle that were stolen and slaughtered by thieves during the night on August 6.

The discovery was made in the bushes between Madodonga and Makhitha.

According to the cattle owner, Thomas Tshikota, incidents of stock theft are on the rise in the Sinthumule/Kutama area.

He told CV that he had left his cows grazing in the bush, but when he returned, some were missing.

“I discovered my slaughtered cow,” he said, adding that only the heads and intestines remained when he arrived at the scene. The sight, he said, was shocking.

“The thieves start by cutting off the tail believing it weakens the cow, then they cut off its legs and slaughter it, taking the meat and leaving the bones,” Tshikota explained. He suspects that the stolen meat is being sold to butchery owners. Although similar incidents have occurred in the area before, he said he never imagined it would happen to him. He and other farmers are now forced to stay awake every night to guard their livestock.

Another farmer, Johannes Ramovha said that a community member had witnessed the suspect slaughtering the cows in the bushes.

Ramovha and other farmers rushed to the scene, causing the suspect to flee, leaving behind his car and a slaughtered cow.

The police were called and found the vehicle containing the meat.

Ramovha said his aspirations of becoming a top stock farmer have been severely impacted by the thefts.

“We used to hear of people losing their stock to thieves, but what is happening to me is something I cannot live with. I worked very hard to be where I am,” he said, acknowledging that stock theft is becoming an increasingly serious problem in the Sinthumule and Kutama areas.

Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba confirmed that the police were called to the scene, where they found the bodies of the slaughtered cattle.

“This is where the cows were being slaughtered. Some of the farmers identified their cows,” he said. The suspect, identified as a 31-year-old man, fled the scene but was later arrested, he confirmed.

He appeared in the Tshilwavhusiku Magistrate’s Court on August 12, where he was granted bail of R1 000. The case was postponed to August 30.

Ledwaba confirmed an increase in stock theft complaints in Limpopo, noting that thieves typically target unattended animals in grazing lands at night.

He urged cattle owners to ensure their animals are safely in their kraal at night to avoid falling victim to these crimes.

He also warned those who purchase stolen livestock that they are committing a crime and could face arrest.