Pair nabbed for stealing 13 cattle

TWO suspected cattle rustlers were arrested on Wednesday while driving a herd of 13 stolen cattle towards a waiting truck in Hippo Valley in Chiredzi in Masvingo.

The suspects intended to take the animals to Bongo area in Mwenezi district.

Befrank Chirele (33) and Peacemaker Njenjekwa (26) were arrested at an area called Section 15 in Hippo Valley.

Masvingo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed the arrest.

The cattle belong to Johani Mutsengi (36) of Vhelemu village, Chief Chilonga.

“The complainant left his cattle grazing in Hippo Valley at around 10 am. However, when he returned to round them up at around 6pm, he could not locate them,” said Insp Dhewa.

The complainant’s neighbour, Wellington Zvidzai got suspicious upon spotting a truck parked near his home and he alerted Mutsengi. A report was subsequently made to the police.

“Our accompanied by villagers went to the scene and found the two suspects driving the stolen cattle towards their truck and they arrested them. All the 13 stolen cattle were recovered,” said Insp Dhewa.

“As police, we commended the Chilonga community for complementing us in the fight against crime. We also encourage communities to create village anti-stock theft committees to curb stock theft cases and help protect the national herd.”

Cases of stock theft are rampant across Zimbabwe with rustlers hitting hardest farmers in border areas where they work with cross-border syndicates to steal livestock.

Between 5 000 and 10 000 cases of livestock theft are reported each year in the country according to the Zimbabwe Republic Police Anti-Stock Theft Unit.

The unit has over the years intensified its campaigns, deployments and community-based initiatives to fight animal theft, which is causing huge losses to farmers and high levels of anxiety in communities that have built their flock over the years.

ZRP established an Anti-stock Theft Unit in November 2004, after realising that there was a need to safeguard livestock and build the national herd.

Statistics indicate that in 2023, stock theft cases increased by four percent compared to the previous year, with cattle thefts specifically rising by 11 percent. However, there was a significant decrease in goat and bird thefts, with a 14 percent and 24 percent reduction respectively.