Chronicle Editor
THE co-ordinated effort between the police and the community leading to the arrest of notorious cattle rustler Dumisani Moyo in Matabeleland South is testimony to the successes of joint efforts in eradicating crime.
Our sister paper reported on Sunday how police, working with members of the community, arrested Moyo in Brunapeg, Mangwe District and seized 110 cattle that were stolen from different areas including e Kezi district and neighbouring Botswana.
The paper reported that villagers from Kezi and Mangwe teamed up with the police last Thursday to track down Moyo who led the group to his pen where he was holding stolen beasts worth an estimated US$50 000.
Cattle rustling is serious problem in Matabeleland especially as it not only involves theft of livestock within the country but also from the neighbouring Botswana.
The districts affected by rustling include mostly Gwanda, Beitbridge and Matobo districts.
The tracking and arrest of Moyo, however, should serve as an encouragement for communities affected by stock theft that if they join hands, they can eradicate cattle rustling and any other crimes.
In October last year, police in Matabeleland South invited members of the public to identify 65 of 98 head of cattle that were recovered in cattle rustling hotspots in Gwanda during an operation targeting stock thieves.
The police had on September 26 launched operation “let’s fight stock thieves/asilwiseni amasela ezifuyo/ ngatirwisei mbava dzezvipfuyo” which ended on October 2.
When the culprits learnt of the police operation, some of them ditched most of the cattle in the bush leading to their recovery. Police who were using horses managed to round up the animals timeously.
Joint efforts between Zimbabwe and Botswana police have also yielded results.
In March this year, the two forces, in a joint operation, recovered 21 cattle stolen from Botswana.
“The ZRP commends the good working relations between Zimbabwe and Botswana Police Services which have led to the recovery of 21 cattle reported stolen in Botswana on March 26. A team of police officers from Botswana and the public teamed up with ZRP members and tracked the footprints and spoor of a herd of cattle which was being driven from Botswana towards Mnyangane area by five unknown suspects,” said the police on their Twitter page at the time.
“Upon noticing that they were being followed, the suspects fled leaving the cattle.”
It is clear therefore that the eradication of cattle rustling or any crime for that matter, is possible with joint efforts.
Online Reporter