Banner Left

Stolen livestock still not returned

Stolen livestock still not returned

MORE than two months after nine men were arrested in connection with the theft of more than 7 000 head of livestock at Khorixas, none of the animals have been returned to their rightful owners.

Instead, the community is pleading with authorities to re-arrest eight of the men, who are free on bail. Only the alleged ringleader of the syndicate is still behind bars.One of the conditions attached to the accused men’s bail, granted three weeks ago, was apparently that they must hand over all the stolen animals to their owners.This has not yet happened and the community, led by stock-theft prevention group Ditsa-I-Mu (DIM) has been actively engaging both the Police and the court to withdraw the men’s bail.In January, Police arrested Cleophas Tjiunduwa (36), Nico Kahuku (31), Elias Munenuela (47), Kahupilo Kavi (53), Leonard Wararavi (29), Bbebeto Tjiunduva (36), Moses Kawoko (28), Mathews Tjiunduva (25) and Rutjindo Clahimua (68) in connection with a series of stock theft cases that had occurred in the Khorixas district.The animals – sheep, cattle and goats – had been kept in hidden kraals on three farms in the area, namely Middelplaas, Oshakati and !Gobshoekie.Since the arrest of the suspected syndicate, Police have guarded the animals at these farms until their owners can identify and claim them.However, despite numerous attempts by the Police to hand back the animals to their owners, this task has not gone as smoothly as anticipated.Earmarks on many of the animals have been cut off, new owners’ identification marks have been engraved on top of original marks, and paint marks have been scraped off as the animals move around in overcrowded kraals.This has led to a chaotic situation in which more than one owner is laying claim to the same animal.The granting of bail to the suspected thieves, with the condition that they hand over the animals to the farmers they were stolen from, seems to have been regarded as a good way to solve the problem.”We’ve been meeting with the State Prosecutor and with the Police to get these guys’ bail withdrawn, because this is what should happen when you don’t comply with your bail conditions,” DIM leader Petrus Ukongo said yesterday.”They’re going back to court this week to hear on that,” Ukongo said.Ukongo added that there is concern in the community about the fact that the Police have stopped guarding some of the kraals where the stolen animals are being kept.When contacted about this, the Khorixas station commander, Inspector Robert Sanjahi, said this was necessitated by a lack of resources at the Police’s disposal.There are four kraals in which the animals are being kept, Sanjahi said, some of which are more difficult to control than others.”Middelplaas for example is very far (from town), and there are a lot of stock being kept there.So we’ve concentrated on keeping guards there.”At the kraals closer to town, he says, Police generally do spot checks and count the animals during morning or night visits.This is not enough, Ukongo says, and could actually count against the community when the stolen animals are to be handed back to their rightful owners.”What if these guys [the accused] go there during the day with their own animals and drop them off at a kraal, then take some of the stolen stock with them? You won’t know there has been tampering, but when people come to identify their animals they won’t be able to claim those animals in the kraal, because they belong to the suspects.This way these guys could get away with what they’ve done,” he said.Sanjahi admitted that this could happen, but said the Police are doing the best they can with limited manpower.Only the alleged ringleader of the syndicate is still behind bars.One of the conditions attached to the accused men’s bail, granted three weeks ago, was apparently that they must hand over all the stolen animals to their owners.This has not yet happened and the community, led by stock-theft prevention group Ditsa-I-Mu (DIM) has been actively engaging both the Police and the court to withdraw the men’s bail.In January, Police arrested Cleophas Tjiunduwa (36), Nico Kahuku (31), Elias Munenuela (47), Kahupilo Kavi (53), Leonard Wararavi (29), Bbebeto Tjiunduva (36), Moses Kawoko (28), Mathews Tjiunduva (25) and Rutjindo Clahimua (68) in connection with a series of stock theft cases that had occurred in the Khorixas district.The animals – sheep, cattle and goats – had been kept in hidden kraals on three farms in the area, namely Middelplaas, Oshakati and !Gobshoekie.Since the arrest of the suspected syndicate, Police have guarded the animals at these farms until their owners can identify and claim them.However, despite numerous attempts by the Police to hand back the animals to their owners, this task has not gone as smoothly as anticipated.Earmarks on many of the animals have been cut off, new owners’ identification marks have been engraved on top of original marks, and paint marks have been scraped off as the animals move around in overcrowded kraals.This has led to a chaotic situation in which more than one owner is laying claim to the same animal.The granting of bail to the suspected thieves, with the condition that they hand over the animals to the farmers they were stolen from, seems to have been regarded as a good way to solve the problem.”We’ve been meeting with the State Prosecutor and with the Police to get these guys’ bail withdrawn, because this is what should happen when you don’t comply with your bail conditions,” DIM leader Petrus Ukongo said yesterday.”They’re going back to court this week to hear on that,” Ukongo said.Ukongo added that there is concern in the community about the fact that the Police have stopped guarding some of the kraals where the stolen animals are being kept.When contacted about this, the Khorixas station commander, Inspector Robert Sanjahi, said this was necessitated by a lack of resources at the Police’s disposal.There are four kraals in which the animals are being kept, Sanjahi said, some of which are more difficult to control than others.”Middelplaas for example is very far (from town), and there are a lot of stock being kept there.So we’ve concentrated on keeping guards there.”At the kraals closer to town, he says, Police generally do spot checks and count the animals during morning or night visits.This is not enough, Ukongo says, and could actually count against the community when the stolen animals are to be handed back to their rightful owners.”What if these guys [the accused] go there during the day with their own animals and drop them off at a kraal, then take some of the stolen stock with them? You won’t know there has been tampering, but when people come to identify their animals they won’t be able to claim those animals in the kraal, because they belong to the suspects.This way these guys could get away with what they’ve done,” he said.Sanjahi admitted that this could happen, but said the Police are doing the best they can with limited manpower.

Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!

Latest News