The ‘Orphan’ of Agricultural Crime

Farmers and businesses are at risk of losing everything they own. Millions of farming disciplines are being affected. The Dairy industry and Abattoir workers may face unemployment.

 Consumers will have to dig deeper to afford skyrocketing meat prices.  If this continues and if communities do not band together to catch the thieves, only the affluent will be able to afford meat.

 The NSTPF insist that they are serious about bringing culprits to justice and are doing their upmost best with the resources they have.

Crime reports reflect that livestock theft has decreased. In yet barely half of the cases are reported as farmers have lost faith in the system. The sad truth is that these inaccurate statistics hardly touch the surface of the farmers’ reality.

 In January 2012 Grain SA published 18 safety hints given by lt. Col Johan Scott commander at the Stock Theft unit in Vereeniging at the time.                                                                                                                                  

How to prevent Livestock Theft:

• Loading ramps in paddocks or on farms away from direct supervision should be kept locked or obstructed at all times.
• If you consider buying an additional farm, remember: “absentee landlords gather no crops”.
• Prevent stolen animals from being hidden on your property. Stock posts serve as ideal overnight stopovers to hide stolen livestock. Unknown livestock found at such posts should immediately be reported to the SAPS.
• Livestock at stock posts should be counted by the livestock owner him/herself, at least once a week.
• If employees at stock posts possess their own animals, a good preventative measure against stock theft (if involvement of employees is suspected) is to allow the animals to mix and graze together.
• Many court cases are lost because of disputes regarding the proper identification of animals. If an animal is marked with a registered brand mark or tattoo, disputes will be avoided. Employees should mark their livestock properly, according to the Animal Identification Act, 2002 (Act No. 6 of 2002), preferably by branding them.
• Be particularly watchful during full moon, weekends and at the end or beginning of a month or during periods that you know from your own experience, when stock thefts (slaughtering for the pot) occur.

• Report unknown animals among your animals immediately to the SAPS and your neighbours.
• Livestock owners should always report al livestock theft cases on their property immediately. The longer the delay, the less the possibility of achieving success in an investigation.
• The regular herding and counting of animals are of obvious importance. Also check up upon your employees’ livestock. If it is not possible to count your livestock every day, try counting your animals at least twice a week on irregular days. Avoid any routine, especially at stock posts, as your employees may be informers to stock thieves. Shortages and signs indicating possible thefts should immediately be reported.
• When considering applicants for employment, enquiries should be made at previous employers to establish the real reason why an employee had left his previous job. Enquiries should also be lodged at the SAPS to determine whether the applicant has a criminal record. Establish what kind of criminal record the applicant has.
• Employees should be trained to pay attention to irregularities. Ask your employees to be careful about what they say in the presence of strangers regarding activities on the farm.
• Report immediately to your stock theft unit when animal speculators and hide bone buyers or livestock dealers from neighbouring countries are active in your area. Keep proper record of all prospective livestock buyers as soon as you enter negotiations.
• The necessity of a thorough stock register cannot be emphasised enough. Commit to paper as much details as possible and keep the register up to date yourself.                                                                                           
• Do not allow loitering on the farm or any idle and unemployed people to settle on your property. Strangers entering the farm or visiting labourers should first obtain your permission – implement a visitor’s control system, wherein all particulars of visitors to the farm are noted, whom they are visiting and when they are leaving.
• It often happens that border livestock owners become involved with illegal trade with citizens of neighbouring countries in some or other way, such as the renting of grazing pastures.
• It often happens that stock theft cases must be withdrawn due to a lack of interest or reluctance shown by some complainants to attend court proceedings.
• Cooperate with the local SAPS and stock theft unit and do not work against them.

It is a little more than 11 years after these safety precautions ere published and most farmers are implementing all or most of the more practical hints above but reading through it, one cannot help to pick up that the buck is firmly placed in the hands of the farmer. Law abiding citizens are held responsible for criminals getting away with brutal slaughter.

Our farmers wake up in the mornings to find their land soaked with blood. Their cattle’s feet cut of first so that they cannot run, they are then skinned alive and only parts of the animal are cut out for illegal trade.

Farmers are begging people on the receiving end of this market to stop buying cheap meat from strangers. You are killing our Nation! You are slaughtering our animals in the most heinous, cruel, and savage way! You are killing the small farmer and will be responsible for the fact that your children and their children will have NO work and NO food to eat!

It is high time that the ‘Orphan ‘of Agricultural Crime gets adopted by the citizens of South Africa! Stop participating in crime and encouraging a market driven on the back of illegal activities! Start fighting for food security in South Africa! You are worth it! Your children are worth it! Your country is worth it!