Durban - Vulnerable sheep farmers near Kokstad have been left with no choice but to put their businesses up for sale after repeated theft of their livestock over the past 15 years, without any successful prosecution of the suspects.
A J Joubert, the owner of Rustfontein Farm, said he was in the process of selling the sheep farming operation “as we can no longer afford to feed these criminals’ businesses through our hard work”.
He said they had lost hope in the systems that were supposed to help them and he thought soon there would be no sheep farmers left in the area after the traumatic experiences they had been through.
Joubert was the latest victim of what he believes is a syndicate operating in the area. About 70 pregnant ewes were stolen from his farm in the New Amalfi area and later found slaughtered.
Pictures taken at the scene showed foetuses of unborn lambs scattered among their dead mothers.
It is believed they were killed and abandoned after the thieves realised they were pregnant.
He said the sheep were stolen and moved off his farm “as they have been doing every time they steal”. He said they got driven to the main road and were loaded into bakkies and ferried to Nouhoek.
“There they are hidden away in the wattle trees, and are slaughtered, on order, in a very cruel manner. This has been happening for years. Sometimes they are loaded and moved to other parts of KZN. They cut fences and destroy property,” he said.
Joubert said two farmers had already sold their sheep farming businesses and he hoped that by December this year he would have sold all his livestock. There were no more than 10 sheep farms left.
Guy Bastard, who represents the farmers, said the stealing had left the farmers vulnerable.
This was not only affecting the farmers, but a lot of farmworkers would be left jobless if the theft continued.
Joubert said every time their stock was taken, they opened cases, which were passed on to the police stock theft unit in Matatiele “and beyond that I have no idea what happens”.
He said the perpetrators were well known in the community but were feared.
“We need outside police to step in; a task force is needed to arrest this crime syndicate. They have their influence in every area of East Griqualand, and we need outside people who cannot be threatened.
“Everyone knows who they are.”
The Mercury contacted the KZN SAPS on Monday, but they could not comment as it was the responsibility of the Eastern Cape police. Eastern Cape police spokeswoman Sibongile Soci was unable to comment on Monday night.
The Mercury