CATTLE RUSTLERS GIVE MWEETWA SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

By Jessica Mwansa

SOUTHERN Province Minister Cornelius Mweetwa says stock theft is spiralling out of control as criminals are ravaging the animal population in the area with impunity, making it difficult for farmers to improve their herds.

In an interview with The Scoop, Mr. Mweetwa stock theft had posed a serious challenge to the animal population in the province as cattle rustlers have been on rampage adding that he had engaged the police and that measures have been put up to ensure that cattle rustlers were dealt with.

He said his office has engaged the traditional leadership and various stakeholders to ensure that the offenders were brought to book.

 “There has been an observation in livestock theft in the province and this has threatened the profitability and sustainability of livestock farmers. We have engaged the traditional leadership so that through them, we can reach out to our people.

“We have also been in touch with elected officials to ensure that the message is spread and penetrates at the grass roots as you know the question of security can never be won unless we pursue involvement and facilitation of members of the community,” Mr. Mweetwa said.

He said he had involved various stakeholders to make a law that relates to livestock theft which will therefore be more punitive.

“We are currently receiving recommendations from various stakeholders to make a law relating to livestock theft more punitive so we do expect, going forward, that the law might become more punitive in order to deter would-be offenders,” he said.

He noted that said livestock thieves deterred development hence the need to ensure stock theft became non-bondable and non-bailable.

“In the law, we will ensure that stock theft will be non-bondable and non-bailable so that the criminals behind the acts can pay for their crimes. We will therefore change the law to ensure that anyone caught or suspected in stock theft will be arrested. These farmers largely depend on livestock farming to sustain their families. When you steal someone’s animals you are basically stealing their economy, you are stealing their future.

“We are also working to ensure that there is a ban on movement of livestock without brand marks in a bid to contain and control stock theft and diseases,” he said.

He said livestock theft was on the rise with devastating consequences on farmers and has since urged the livestock farmers in his province to continue reporting the cases and work with the Government to ensure that perpetrators were arrested.