Festive Stock Thefts Leave Rural South Africa on Edge

Festive celebrations across rural South Africa were overshadowed by a wave of stock theft and violent farm crimes that left many farmers fearful for their safety and the future of their livelihoods. From the Northern Cape to Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal, criminals took advantage of the holiday season to target farms, making off with cattle, sheep and even attacking farmworkers in chilling overnight raids.

Source: centralnews

Police say the Kuruman Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit managed to break one major case in mid-December after tracing 24 cattle stolen from a grieving family in Deerwaard village. The animals, valued at about R150,000, were taken while the owner was dealing with the death of her spouse in hospital. Investigators later recovered some of the livestock from a nearby cattle post and arrested a 43-year-old man who could not explain how the animals came into his possession.

Elsewhere, the crimes turned brutal. On a Free State farm near Clocolan, three men allegedly forced their way into a farmhouse late at night, terrifying sleeping workers and raping a female farmworker before fleeing. A stolen firearm was later recovered and arrests were made with the help of nearby farmers. Similar scenes played out in Limpopo, where armed suspects robbed a farmer at gunpoint before loading 15 sheep into a vehicle and disappearing into the night.

Northern Cape communities also felt the impact as police intercepted a vehicle carrying stolen sheep worth R10,000 and arrested six suspects, while other farmers were not so fortunate. In Bolobedu, a 76-year-old cattle owner watched helplessly as five cattle and a calf vanished from his kraal, leaving behind a cut fence and losses estimated at R80,000. In another disturbing case, stolen cattle were found slaughtered in the bushes near Ga-Matlala, their owners discovering the remains days later.

While police have made several arrests and recovered some livestock, rural communities remain uneasy. With criminals becoming more daring and organised, farmers say the festive season has once again exposed just how vulnerable South Africa’s food producers are, even as they work to keep the nation fed.