Farmers have to watch their backs while thieves roam free

Date: 01 March 2024 By: Andries van Zyl

In the Alldays area, farmers report seeing little to no improvement in police effectiveness regarding the ever-escalating problem of illegal poaching of game and commercial livestock.

In November last year, the Zoutpansberger highlighted the plight of farmers in the area, who had recorded more than 100 cases of illegal poaching and livestock theft from January 2021 to 13 October 2023. Despite this, few - if any - of these cases have resulted in the arrest of suspects. In some instances, the only way to secure an arrest is through the use of private anti-poaching units or private investigations, all at an extra cost to the farmer.

According to the farmers interviewed in November, the lack of adequate policing is to blame for the escalating problem. They also stated that the Stock Theft Unit, operating from Musina, is vastly unequipped to address the issue effectively. In many cases, farmers report a stock theft or poaching incident, only to receive a message from the police a few days later stating that the case was closed due to a lack of evidence. One farmer, who works closely with the Rural Safety Forum, Mr Morné Gilfillan, argued that up to 70% of cases are no longer even reported due to the police’s inability to make a meaningful difference.

A list of the 100 plus cases that have been "closed" or gone unresolved was sent to provincial spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba for comment. In response, Ledwaba stated in November last year that the provincial commissioner of the South African Police Service in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, had taken note of the newspaper’s enquiry, and that the mentioned cases "are currently being inspected and, when the investigation is through, you will be updated accordingly". Three months later, and despite numerous requests for an update on the "investigation" into the outstanding cases, the newspaper has yet to receive a response.

In the meantime, the situation in the Alldays area has escalated further. A few weeks ago, a farmer in the area spotted a group of poachers on his neighbour’s farm. He managed to chase them away successfully, but shortly afterwards, he was unsettled by a threatening message on a gravel road on his neighbour's farm, directed at him by name. The message, in Afrikaans, warned him explicitly that he “will sh*t”, accompanied by a skull and bones drawn to warn the farmer. The message appeared next to a section of fence that had been cut to allow poachers access to the farm.

This case was also reported to the police, and again, the newspaper followed up with Ledwaba on the progress of the case. After a couple of weeks of waiting for a response, Ledwaba finally replied this week, stating: "The SAPS in the Capricorn District, through Rural Safety Structures, are having ongoing meetings with the community, as well as farmers where matters of concern are discussed, including the Alldays problems. The Alldays case as mentioned is currently closed as undetected, and should there be any new information, the investigation might be reopened for further investigation. The police investigations are ongoing."

Thus, it was once again a case of "case closed" for the police, much to the dismay of farmers. "Over December, there was a bit of a rest period for us, but after the new year, the situation just continued where it left off. On my farm, we now only farm two weeks a month. The other two weeks, we do night shifts and anti-poaching operations," said Gilfillan.

Ledwaba was also asked again about the investigation into the outstanding 100 plus cases. "Regarding the outstanding, some are still ongoing," Ledwaba said. But farmers are not holding their breath that the situation will improve anytime soon.

Viewed: 2074

Andries van Zyl

Andries joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in April 1993 as a darkroom assistant. Within a couple of months he moved over to the production side of the newspaper and eventually doubled as a reporter. In 1995 he left the newspaper group and travelled overseas for a couple of months. In 1996, Andries rejoined the Zoutpansberger as a reporter. In August 2002, he was appointed as News Editor of the Zoutpansberger, a position he holds until today.

More photos...