Twee tot drie ton mielies word per dag in sekere dele van die Vrystaat gesteel en selfs veiligheidswagte word aangeval. Dit beklemtoon die omvang van die probleem waarmee landbouers in die provinsie te doen het.
Volgens dr Jane Buys, Veiligheidsrisiko-analis van Vrystaat Landbou (VL), is mieliediefstal so ’n groot kopseer dat daar op 5 Junie 2019 in Kroonstad ’n intervensie-vergadering hieroor met landbougemeenskappe gehou is. Sy sê voorvalle van mieliediefstal het volgens VL se VKB Veiligheidslessenaar reeds in gebiede soos Allanridge, Bothaville, Bultfontein, Clocolan, Ficksburg, Heuningspruit, Hobhouse, Hoopstad, Kestell, Kroonstad, Odendaalsrus, Reitz en Wesselsbron plaasgevind.
“Dit het uit die vergadering in Kroonstad geblyk dat daar gevalle was waar landbouers sake aan die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens (SAPD) gerapporteer het, maar daar slegs in enkele gevalle MAS-nommers, met OB-inskrywings die norm, bekom is,” sê Buys. “ ’n Opgawe is aangevra van veiligheidsverteenwoordigers in die Vrystaat waar landbouers met mielies boer om die omvang van saaknommers en OB-inskrywings te bekom.”
Sy sê dit wil verder voorkom dat heelwat landbouers wagte aangestel om hul mielies te beskerm. Die wagte word met pangas aangeval en daar word op hulle geskiet in pogings om hulself en landbouers se eiendom te beskerm.
“Dit wil voorkom asof daar daagliks tussen twee tot drie ton mielies in die Kroonstad- en Vredefort-omgewing gesteel word,” sê Buys.
Só word mielies gesteel en verkoop
Volgens Buys pluk groterige groepe mense glo mielies van landerye af, waarna dit in gebruikte kunsmissakke gesit en met bakkies vervoer word. Die mielies word dan teen R2 elk in informele nedersettings verkoop.
“Daar is geen landbouers wat mielies aan mense in hul gebiede verkoop nie. Al die mielies word na silo’s van korporasies gelewer,” sê Buys. Sy meen landbouers kan dalk ’n permitstelsel in plek sit sodra hul mielies per hand aan mense verkoop en dit so onder die aandag van hul plaaslike SAPD koördineerder bring.
Hoër gesag moet aandag skenk
Volgens Buys is die Prioriteitskomitee versoek om dringend aan mieliediefstal aandag te skenk. Sy sê die Nasionale Vervolgingsgesag is ook gevra om te kyk na die suksesvolle vervolging van sake in hof vir die besit van vermoedelik gesteelde mielies.
’n Vraelys is ook opgestel om die impak en omvang van mieliediefstal te probeer bepaal. Dit is byvoorbeeld aan landbouers in die Kroonstad- en Vredefort area versprei.
Maize theft a big headache in the Free State
Two to three tons of maize are stolen per day in certain parts of the Free State and even security guards are attacked. This emphasizes the scale of the problem which farmers in the province face.
According to Dr Jane Buys, Safety and Risk Analyst at Free State Agriculture (FSA), maize theft is such a big problem that an intervention meeting was held on 5 June 2019 in Kroonstad with agricultural communities to address the problem. She said according to FSA’s VKB Safety Desk incidents of maize theft have already been reported in areas such as Allanridge, Bothaville, Bultfontein, Clocolan, Ficksburg, Heuningspruit, Hobhouse, Hoopstad, Kestell, Kroonstad, Odendaalsrus, Reitz and Wesselsbron.
“It turned out from the meeting in Kroonstad that there were cases where farmers reported cases to the South African Police Service (SAPS), but only in a few instances were MAS numbers, with OB descriptions the norm, obtained,” says Buys. “A request was made to safety representatives in the Free State where farmers farm with maize to obtain the scope of case numbers and OB entries.”
She says it further appears if many farmers appointed guards to protect their maize. These guards are attacked with pangas and they are being shot at in attempts to protect themselves and farmers’ property.
“It appears that between two and three tons of maize are stolen daily in the Kroonstad and Vredefort areas,” says Buys.
Maize stolen and sold this way
According to Buys large groups of people apparently harvest maize from the land, whereupon it is put in used fertilizer bags and transported with bakkies. The maize is then sold at R2 each in informal settlements.
“There are no farmers selling maize to people in their areas. All the maize is delivered to silos of corporations,” says Buys. She believes farmers can put a permit system in place as soon as their maize is sold by hand to people and in this way bring it under the attention of their local SAPS coordinator.
Higher powers requested to address issue
According to Buys, the Priority Committee was requested to pay urgent attention to maize theft. She said the National Prosecuting Authority had also been asked to look into the successful prosecution in court of suspected stolen maize.
A questionnaire has also been drafted to try to determine the impact and extent of maize theft. It was for example distributed to farmers in the Kroonstad and Vredefort areas.
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