Verliese van meer as R7,4 miljoen slegs in Julie 2019. Dit is ’n beraming van die omvang van die impak wat veediefstel in die Vrystaat gehad het. Én boonop sluit dit net die insidente in waarvan Vrystaat Landbou (VL) en die Rooivleisprodusente-organisasie (RPO) kennis dra.

Alle veediefstalsake word nie aangemeld nie en volgens dr Jane Buys, Veiligheidsrisiko-analis van VL, verteenwoordig hierdie syfers waarskynlik nie naastenby die totale hoeveelheid nie. Sy sê die groot getalle vee en insidente wys weer eens dat veediefstal op ’n georganiseerde wyse deur groepe en sindikate uitgevoer word.

Volgens VL en die RPO se inligting het daar in Julie 2019 118 insidente op landbougrond in die provinsie voorgekom, is 1 831 stuks vee gesteel en word 36 Vrystaatse dorpe of gebiede daardeur geraak.

Die dorpe wat die meeste deurgeloop het, was Bethlehem (15 insidente) en Paul Roux (11). Die ander plekke waar vyf of meer insidente voorgekom het, was Clocolan (5), Fouriesburg (5), Hobhouse (5), Kestell (5), Reitz (7) en Reddersburg (5).

Van die 1 831 stuks vee wat gesteel is, is 281 teruggevind is. Dit beteken verliese van 1 550 stuks vee by 36 dorpe vir Julie 2019. Dit verteenwoordig slegs ongeveer 40% van die dorpe in die provinsie en is die waarvan af inligting ontvang is. Dus kan dit beteken dat na raming sowat 4 500 stuks vee en meer in totaal die Vrystaat gesteel is.

In 10 van die sake wat in Julie 2019 aangemeld is, is die getal vee wat gesteel is nie gemeld nie. In 61 van sake is meer as vyf beeste of skape in een insident gesteel.

Millions of livestock losses; farmers encouraged to establish centres

Losses in excess of R7.4 million in July 2019. This is an estimate of the extent of the impact that livestock theft has had in the Free State. In addition, this only includes the incidents that Free State Agriculture (FSA) and the Red Meat Producers Organization (RPO) are aware of.

All stock theft cases are not reported and according to Dr Jane Buys, Safety and Risk Analyst at FSA, these figures probably do not represent nearly the total amount. She says the large numbers of livestock and incidents once again show that stock theft is carried out in an organized manner by groups and syndicates.

According to FSA and the RPO’s information, in July 2019 118 incidents occurred on agricultural land in the province, 1 831 livestock were stolen and 36 Free State towns or areas were affected.

The towns that were affected the most was Bethlehem (15 incidents) and Paul Roux (11). Other places where five or more incidents occurred were Clocolan (5), Fouriesburg (5), Hobhouse (5), Kestell (5), Reitz (7) and Reddersburg (5).

Of the 1 831 livestock stolen, 281 were recovered. This means losses of 1 550 livestock in 36 towns for July 2019. This represents only about 40% of the towns in the province and is the ones from which information was received. This could mean that about 4 500 livestock and more could in total have been stolen in the Free State.

In 10 of the cases reported in July 2019, the number of livestock stolen were not reported. In 61 cases, more than five cattle or sheep were stolen in one incident.