adminlast Saturday.
Assist Comm Murwira appealed to farmers to take personal cattle branding seriously.
He said the country would record a sharp decrease in stock theft if all farmers were forced to brand their cattle.
“If there is a law that forces all the farmers to brand their cattle, we will be able to contain stock theft.
“There is no livestock without an owner, this is the reason why we are saying brand your cattle so that when they stray you can easily recover them. We say no to public auctions. How shall farmers operate when their cattle are auctioned?” he asked.
He said cattle were a symbol of wealth in many communities in Zimbabwe.
“Yes you can buy a top of the range (Nissan) Navara but when the rains come you will not yoke and plough with it. You will have to hire those with cattle to do the tilling.”
He thanked the traditional leadership in Hurungwe for assisting police in combating crime.
Mashonaland West provincial chairman for Business Against Stock-theft Mr James Masango said those who applied for branding certificates should collect them on time. Mr Masango said his organisation would soon bar farmers from selling unbranded cattle at the markets as a measure against stocktheft.
He said it was also disturbing to note that while the Registrar of Brands had issued over two million branding certificates to farmers all over Zimbabwe the number of cattle branded so far was still very small.
Hurungwe had a 5,3 percent increase in stocktheft between January and August this year compared to the same period last year while the number of stray cattle rose to 50 compared to 28 during the same period last year.
Among those who attended the ceremony were legislators Cde Franco Ndambakuwa (Magunje) and Sarah Mahoka (Hurungwe East), Chief Dendera, councillors and several heads of Government departments.
leeroy
Online Reporter