Community urged to support anti-stocktheft efforts

out cattle rustling.
Officer Commanding Police Mashonaland West province, Senior Assistant Commis-sioner Rangarirai Mushaurwa, recently said members of the community should be on the look out for cattle rustlers.
Most of these rustlers, she said, originated from within their own communities.
She was speaking during the launch of the Hurungwe District cattle branding campaign that was also attended by National Anti-Stocktheft Co-co-ordinator, Assistant Commissioner Bernard Dumbura at Birima-hwe Primary School on Saturday last week.
Snr Asst Comm Mushaurwa said: “Do you think the cattle rustlers come from Harare, Midlands or Mashonaland Central? Indeed no one can just come from that far and have knowledge of cattle in a particular pen at a particular homestead without the assistance of those who stay in the community. The thieves are among us, within our neighbourhoods and communities,” she said.
Snr Ass Com Mushaurwa commended the cordial relationship between police, the community and the Hurungwe District leadership. This, she said had also helped police in the fight against cattle rustling, which saw stocktheft cases in the district declining by 15 percent last year.
According to statistics, Hurungwe recor-ded 504 cases in 2009 against 426 last year.
Police Commissioner General, Augustine Chihuri launched the national cattle branding at Murombedzi on March 23 this year.
From the district level, the launch is also meant to cascade to ward and village levels. According to police records, Birimahwe area under Chief Nematombo, about 12km west of Magunje growth point, is one of the trouble spots in terms of cattle rustling in Hurungwe District.