Cops connive with cattle rustlers in stocktheft cases

by the police after thorough investigations to authenticate the ownership of the cattle before any transactions and movements of livestock is effected.
Police National Co-ordinator for Anti-Stock Theft Assistant Commissioner Bernard Dumbura, recently said incidents of stock theft and illegal movement of cattle were rampant.
He was speaking at the livestock and meat industry stakeholders meeting held in Chitungwiza last week.
“The challenge comes when some abattoir and butchery operators send out their agents into the farming communities to buy cattle. They buy cattle during the day and steal some during the night. After stealing the cattle, they go on to bribe police officers so that the clearance of the stolen cattle is not done properly,” he said.
Asst Comm Dumbura said when in possession of the police clearance, the so-called agents would easily obtain the Veterinary Movement Permit.
He said the cattle agents were in the habit of transporting livestock in the middle of the night to evade arrest.
“If livestock has been cleared and all the necessary documents have been obtained, surely there is no reason why people should risk being involved in road accidents by traveling at night.
“In many instances when the deal backfires or is discovered, their handlers simply disown them.”
Asst Comm Dumbura also expressed concern over cruel manner of in which cattle and goats are transported.
Investigations showed that cattle and goats were sometimes put in the same vehicle or transported crammed in trailers in violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act chapter 19:09.
Asst Comm Dumbura said transportation of meat or carcasses was done under unhealthy conditions through the use of rusty open trucks, push carts or public transport in contravention of the Statutory Instrument 50/95.
The Statutory Instrument stipulates the type of vehicles or containers to be used in transporting carcasses from slaughterhouses.
“Some of the requirements of these vehicles are that they should have an impervious and non-corrodible lining which cannot affect the organoleptic character of the product or render it harmful to human health,” Asst Comm Dumbura said.
He said vehicles should be totally closed to prevent contamination from dust, water, insects and vermin and also water-tight to prevent drainage of liquids.
Asst Comm Dumbura said they noted that some butchery owners were operating without licences.
There was a tendency by some local authorities to issue butchery licences when there was no Health Inspection Report.
Furthermore, some unlicensed butchery operators were also selling uninspected or condemned meat, while others were not maintaining stock registers as required by the Stock Theft Act.