Cases of stock theft rose sharply in the first half of the year as the effects of reduced police visibility began to take a toll on farmers.
BY XOLISANI NCUBE
According to statistics obtained from the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s [ZRP] anti-stock theft unit, 31 952 cases were recorded between January and June this year compared to 25 706 during the same period last year.
Police recovered 2 704 stolen livestock during the first quarter of this year compared to 2 966 in 2017.
Chief superintendent Andrew Phiri, who is charge of the anti-stock theft unit, blamed rising stock theft cases on butchery operators. He said a number of them were buying cattle from rustlers.
“Cattle farmers are not kraaling their herds in the evening, also we have butchery operators who are buying cheap uninspected meat from cattle rustlers,” he said.
However, some police officers claimed the increase in criminal activities was as a result of relaxed policing following the military takeover of government departments in November last year.
The ZRP was temporarily frozen out at the time as its commanders were accused of being loyal to ousted president Robert Mugabe.
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“When police officers were in full swing, patrolling all night, no cattle were allowed to move at night,” the police source said.
“But we had a period where people were moving their beasts freely and the police officers were disempowered, to do anything.”
According to statistics availed to The Standard, between January and June 2017, 2 146 cases involving cattle rustling were reported, while 2 381 cases of the same were recorded in 2018.
Of the recorded cases, according to statistics, in 2017, 4 494 cattle were stolen while in 2018, 4 957 went missing. The recovery rate stood at 26% in 2018 down from 28% last year.
Matabeleland South had the highest number of cattle stolen with 1 536 in 2018 compared to 1 417 the previous year.
