Chronicle Editor
Esinathy Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
VILLAGERS in Nkenyane in Bubi district, Matabeleland North Province, have exhumed livestock carcasses from a plot suspected to be the headquarters of a cattle rustling syndicate.
About 12 cattle heads, hoofs and hides were exhumed on Thursday from a disused Blair toilet on Plot 14.
The villagers also discovered more carcasses dumped all over the plot.
Scores of villagers said they had been losing cattle at an alarming rate not knowing the “culprit lived among them.”
Mr Mayibongwe Moyo, a worker at Plot 13, allegedly stumbled on cattle remains on Thursday as he passed through Plot 14 premises and alerted other villagers.
An ambush was organised but the suspect, Stephen Nkomo (22) who is believed to be part of a large network of livestock thieves fled into the bushes and is still at large.
“Dozens of cattle went missing last year and we suspect the same syndicate is responsible. Nkomo is a caretaker at the plot belonging to Mr Agripa Sithole,” said a villager who lost three head of cattle.
When The Chronicle news crew visited the plot, an unpleasant smell of decomposing meat lingered over the area.
Nauseating swarms of green flies were all over.
In an interview, Mr Moyo who together with other villagers was taking a rest from the digging said he was still in shock.
“I was herding my cattle in the afternoon yesterday when I saw flies hovering around Sithole’s plot.
“I saw cattle offals. What puzzled me is that the offals were still fresh as blood could be seen all over but there was a bad smell. I drew closer and saw fresh lungs, evidence enough that the animal was slaughtered that day (Thursday),” said Mr Moyo
Mr Moyo said soon after he got home, Nkomo was at his door step asking him what he had been doing at his plot.
“He asked what I had seen and I told him that I saw nothing. He went on to tell me that he was slaughtering a kudu. That is when I suspected that he was hiding something,” he said.
“Soon after he left, I alerted other villagers and we arranged an ambush. When we arrived, the offals were gone but the smell was still strong.
We started walking around the plot and we discovered two fresh cattle heads, two hides and six hooves.”
The search team, said Mr Moyo, continued with the hunt and discovered more cattle skins, some belonging to their lost livestock, decomposing.
“Near the disused toilet, the stench of rotting flesh became stronger, which prompted us to start digging. We alerted Inyathi police who attended the scene,” he said.
Herdsmen said they could identify some of the missing cattle from the decomposing carcasses.
“I thought I lost four cattle and my boss was even deducting money from my salary to compensate for the missing animals. Finally my soul is at peace because I now know what happened to the cattle. I walked as far as Ntabazinduna (about 40km away) searching for the cattle when the rustler was right under our noses,” fumed Mr Victor Moyo of Plot 9.
The villagers said they suspected that Nkomo was part of a gang that was stealing and slaughtering cattle before selling the meat.
“There are no bones whatsoever, which means someone was helping him to cut the meat and transport it. We suspect the commuter omnibuses that frequented this plot, maybe there were the customers,” said one herdsman, Mr Feltman Ncube.
“Having someone who can steal from his surroundings is totally unacceptable. This means he started long ago, to the extent of being comfortable to steal from his neighbours,” said Mr Ncube.
The search team said they are yet to meet with the plot owner who has not yet visited his plot although he was informed by one of the owners of the carcasses found.
Efforts to get hold of Mr Sithole were effortless.
Matabeleland North provincial police spokesperson Inspector Siphiwe Makonese’s phone rang unanswered. — @esinathy_essira
Online Reporter