Throwing the book at them thar stock thieves

Additional criminal charges are to be laid in terms of the Animals Protection Act against four men arrested on 15 September 2015 who have already been charged with stock theft.

"I was horrified at the photographs in the docket, which clearly show that the animals had been brutally attacked with an axe. Their tendons had been slashed,” said Senior Inspector Andries Venter. "Two knives and an axe were found in the possession of the accused. Over and above the actual theft is the sheer violence, horrific cruelty and the vicious savagery which took place. The suffering of these animals is beyond description.”  

"The term 'stock theft' is misleading. It is horrific animal abuse. It is a violent crime and the public needs to be made aware of exactly what is involved. The suffering of the animals being hacked alive is unimaginable. Their deaths are slow. There is wanton cruelty involved and we are relieved that the authorities are finally recognising this,” stated Venter who confirmed that evidence will be provided to the Prosecutor in support of the State’s application to oppose bail.  

The NSPCA is a member of the National Stock Theft Forum as well as the LivestockWelfare Coordinating Committee (LWCC) and has a direct interest in strengthening the case against the accused by including animal cruelty charges -- and to pursue the same legal route against anyone involved in stock theft. In the past, our judicial system has focused only on the theft angle in the majority of such cases. 

From an NSPCA press release

Stock theft

Stock theft goes further than hamper the profitability of the stock farmer. It also interferes with the Government's land reforming process and the empowering of the emerging farmers. For each stock-theft incident at a commercial farm, three similar incidents take place amongst emerging farmers. What makes it worse is that many emerging farmers suffer a total loss of stock – kraals are literally emptied. These farmers have to resort to other means to care for their families and to make a living.

Throw the book at them thar thieves! 

Find statistics for stock theft on www.redmeatsa.co.za.