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Freeman Razemba Crime Reporter
More than 600 cattle were last week branded in some parts of Mashonaland West Province as police intensify their campaign to have all cattle branded by December next year.
A team of police officers led by deputy anti-stocktheft national coordinator Assistant Commissioner Jimmy Khumalo visited Kutama, Mutorashanga, Chinhoyi and Nyabira to carry out the branding exercise.
The team met with traditional leaders and other senior Government officials.
Addressing farmers in some of these areas, Asst Comm Khumalo said the idea was to curb stocktheft countrywide.
“We have since introduced universal cattle branders, which we have since distributed to the country’s 10 provinces,” he said.
He said that they would soon visit other areas to conduct awareness campaigns and to educate farmers on the need to have their cattle branded.
He said they had realised that most cattle that were being stolen were not branded.
Asst Comm Khumalo assured farmers that the force will continue conducting operations to curb stocktheft activities and eradicating their markets.
He said cattle that were branded would easily be identified by their owners if they were stolen.
A Kadoma farmer and businessman, Cde Jimayi Muduvuri, urged people to take the branding exercise seriously.
“People should take heed of this initiative seriously, as it will curb stock- theft activities so that we also protect the national herd,” he said.
Nearly 1,6 million cattle have been branded countrywide as police launch a massive crackdown to get rid of rustlers and their markets in the beef industry.
Police statistics show that 1 567 073 cattle were branded from 2009 to date. At least 3 372 614 cattle are yet to be branded, ahead of the December 2017 deadline.
In an interview recently, police anti-stock theft national coordinator Senior Assistant Commissioner Erasmus Makodza said they had realised that all the livestock being stolen were not branded and their thrust is to ensure that by December 2017 all livestock would have been branded.
He said branding was for cattle and donkeys and ear-tags for goats and sheep to curb stock theft.
In June, police called for intensified cattle branding in response to an upsurge in stocktheft between January and May 2016, compared to last year’s corresponding period.
Addressing a Zimbabwe Republic Police and Business Anti-Stocktheft Forum annual general meeting, Senior Assistant Commissioner Bernard Dumbura said stocktheft had increased by 16 percent in 2016.
Statistics indicated that a total of 3 535 cattle were stolen between January and May 2015 whilst rustlers got away with 4 103 cattle in the 2016 corresponding period.
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