Africa-Press – Botswana. Residents of Boteti have been warned to brace themselves for a meat-free winter as the Botswana Police Service’s (BPS) anti-stock theft operation dubbed Kgomo-Khumo returns.
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the anti-stock theft operation set up to curb cattle rustling was relaunched last Thursday at Rakops.
BPS’ public relations officer, Assistant Commissioner Dipheko Motube said the Kgomo-Khumo operation is back and their presence will soon be felt.
Motube stated that cattle rustling is causing great misery to farmers in Botswana, especially in rural communities that largely depend on agriculture for a living.
He revealed that stock theft is currently bad in the Boteti area as zero-tooth animals are being targeted mostly by organised criminal syndicates.
“We have observed that a number of butcheries thrive on stolen stock and we promise farmers peace of mind because we anticipate that our presence will soon be felt. Residents of the Boteti area should brace themselves for a meat-free winter because butcheries will soon run dry,” Motube said.
He stated that farmers wanted to give up on cattle rearing but they promise to bring back their confidence in farming, invest in it, and contribute to the country’s economy.
The police spokesperson revealed that they plan to profile stock theft syndicates in the Boteti area, identify hot spots and their market, and disturb all actions of stock theft networks.
“We also intend to profile stock theft syndicates and arrest the perpetrators and bring them before justice. In the past, many rustlers were arrested and we managed to recover some of the stolen animals,” Motube said.
“Some animals went back to their owners themselves, some after they disappeared for over five years after the said syndicate burnt and relocated from the cattle posts following our visibility on the ground.”
Farmers have been urged to brand their livestock to curb stock theft as rustlers were reported to be targeting unbranded beasts being the zero teeth. Motube also pleaded with farmers to take good care of their cattle by feeding, watering and registering them.
Furthermore, he encouraged farmers to form teams or clusters that will help the police achieve their goal to curb stock theft in the area.
“Majority of farmers are failing to take care of their herdsman because they can spend months without getting paid hence failing to kraal them. Some farmers have abandoned their animals and they barely visit their cattle posts. They do not know their animals,” Motube said.
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