THERE has been a 16 percent decrease in stock-theft cases during the first half of the year on the back of intensified efforts by stakeholders to curb the crime, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Anti-Stock Theft Unit has said.
Statistics from the unit show that 1 705 cases of stock theft were reported between January and July 2015 compared to 2 036 cases during the same period last year.
The number of stolen stock was 3 428 compared to 4 309 for the same period last year, a 20 percent decrease.
The unit recovered 1 303 cattle during the first half of the year with recovery rate for 2015 now standing at 38 percent.
More than 590 arrests have been made down from the 666 made between January and July last year.
The ZRP Anti-Stock Theft co-ordinator, Senior Assistant Commissioner Ernest Muchenjekwa told The Patriot the unit had intensified its campaigns, deployments and community-based initiatives had aided in the decline of the cases.
“This year between January and July the unit has conducted 4 062 campaigns and more than 153 700 people were reached,” he said.
“Under these awareness programmes and campaigns we educate farmers on methods of keeping safe their cattle such as having them branded, keeping dogs and building pens closer to homesteads.
“We also engage the village heads to help enforce the clearance system under which every beast must be cleared before movement.”
The unit, Snr Ass-Comm Muchenjekwa said, increased the deployment of Anti- Stock Theft Unit officers countrywide.
“Between January and July, 5 720 officers from this unit were deployed countrywide compared to the 5 173 officers deployed during the same period last year,” he said.
Following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in provinces such as Matabeleland, Masvingo and Manicaland, Snr Ass-Comm Muchenjekwa said the unit had put in place educational campaigns for farmers on the outbreak.
“We are also monitoring the movement of cattle from the affected areas to ensure that the disease is not spread to other provinces,” he said.
“There are other areas that have been put under quarantine and for anyone to move cattle from these areas they should produce the right documentation.”
The decrease in stock theft comes at a time when Government plans to increase the national herd to 25 million in the next 20 years.
In a move aimed to deter would-be offenders, Government has set stiffer penalties for the crime as it is working against the country’s programme to enhance the agriculture sector.
The harsh punishment is in line with the new sentencing guidelines in stock theft after law makers moved to change the law in response to the rising cases of cattle rustling.
For stealing one animal, one serves between nine to 25 years in prison. As part of efforts to curb the crime, the police-force has embarked on nationwide campaigns, engaging the public on ways of dealing with the crime.
Over the past years, the unit has launched several campaigns such as ‘Operation Chengetedzai Zvipfuyo Zviripamutemo’ under which farmers are encouraged to keep records of their stock, register newly acquired stock or calves on stock cards within 14 days and transportation of stock in suitable vehicles.
Under Operation code named ‘Chengetedzai Zvipfuyo’ the police encourage farmers to look after their cattle by ensuring they are in pens at the required time and are not left unattended when grazing.
The unit also runs ‘Operation Mombe Mumugwagwa Kwete’ under which farmers with cattle straying into highways are being fined.
The unit had also launched programmes to monitor the slaughtering of cattle and the selling of meat.
Under ‘Operation Surveillance’ the unit deploys officers in plain clothes to monitor butcheries at night and to monitor the movement of meat as there are some who bring in meat not slaughtered at slaughter houses.
According to the unit, more than 11 600 arrests were made for offences related to stock theft.
“These offences include the slaughtering of cattle for commercial purposes at unauthorised places, the selling of meat by butcheries that are not licensed or not in possession of medical certificates,” said Snr Ass-Comm Muchenjekwa.
“Others were arrested for moving livestock without the required veterinary permits, failing to maintain stock registers in butcheries that show where the meat being sold has come from.
“We have exercises such as ‘Operation Nyama Yabvepi’ under which the police monitor the source of meat sold by any butchery; butcheries should be able to verify where they got the meat and produce health inspection certificate.
With concerted efforts by stakeholders to reduce stock-theft having produced positive results, it is hoped the trend will be maintained
Livestock is the backdrop of most farmers who rely on cattle for draught power.