VEEDIEFSTAL ONDER DIE SOEKLIG / STOCK THEFT UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

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VEEDIEFSTAL ONDER DIE SOEKLIG / STOCK THEFT UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
VOLHOUBAARHEID/SUSTAINABILITY

VEEDIEFSTAL ONDER DIE SOEKLIG / STOCK THEFT UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

VEEDIEFSTAL ONDER DIE SOEKLIG

Veediefstal is so oud soos die mens self en word reeds in die Bybel vermeld. Veediefstal is nie uniek aan Suid-Afrika nie, maar is ‘n wêreldwye verskynsel. 

Veediefstalvoorkoming is per nasionale instruksie toegeken aan die RPO, wat die lewendehawebedryf verteenwoordig.

Uitdagings wat gepaardgaan met veediefstal

Daar is verskeie uitdagings wat gepaardgaan met veediefstal.

  • Veediefstal is deesdae sinoniem met lewensbedreigende omstandighede vir veeboere aangesien veediewe en sindikate gewapen is.
  • Die ondersoek van ‘n veediefstalsaak is van die moeilikste aangesien dit in die buitelug plaasvind en kritiese leidrade weens verskeie faktore vernietig kan word (reën, die kontaminasie van die misdaadtoneel). Ten einde ‘n veediefstalsaak suksesvol te vervolg, is dit dus belangrik dat naas die Vis-Pol-beampte, die veediefstalspeurder die toneel spoedeisend moet bereik.
  • Die tekort aan kapasiteit binne die SAPD en veral die voorsiening van voertuie aan die veediefstaleenhede, is ‘n kopseer. Die ondersoekbeamptes is met enkele uitsonderings na baie goed opgelei, maar ongelukkig is daar ‘n geweldige tekort aan mannekrag. Veediefstal is ‘n spesialis misdaad en vereis spesialis ondersoekbeamptes.
  • Vonnisoplegging van veediewe is nie genoegsaam nie en sake word voortdurend uit die hof gegooi weens verskeie redes, byvoorbeeld wanneer die beëdigde verklaring van die boer verskil van die verklaring wat hy in die hof lewer. Dit is derhalwe noodsaaklik dat die eerste beëdigde verklaring reg afgelê word. Boere het die reg om die verklaring in die taal van sy keuse af te lê en om seker te maak dat die feitelike inhoud daarvan korrek is alvorens hy dit onderteken.
  • Die mening word ook gehuldig dat onkundige staatsaanklaers veediefstalsake aankla. Justice College van die Nasionale Vervolgingsgesag het egter begin om spesifieke opleidingskursusse te loods om staatsaanklaers te bemagtig om veediefstalsake effektief aan te kla.
  • Tans word veediefstal ook geassosieer met brutaliteit en dieremishandeling. Dit is dus uiters belangrik dat veeboere ook sake van dierewelsyn en -mishandeling in hul verklarings meld aangesien die NSPCA betrek word en verswarende strawwe kan teweeg bring.
  • Alhoewel potslagtings voorkom, is veediefstal in Suid-Afrika in werklikheid ‘n sindidaatmisdaad en behoort dit ook so deur die SAPD gekategoriseer word. Veediefstal word gesien as ‘n winsgewende misdaad. Diere word meestal in landelike omgewings gesteel en word vervoer na stedelike gebiede en veral metropolitaanse gebiede, waar dit op veilings aangebied word.
  • Boere self is ook skuldig, aangesien die persentasie diere wat nie gebrand/getatoeer is nie, baie hoog is. Die merk van ‘n dier verseker eienaarskap, wat noodsaaklik is om ‘n veediefstalsaak doeltreffend op te los en ‘n vonnis te verkry. Die Wet op die Identifikasie van Diere is verpligtend en elke dier moet gebrand/getatoeer word. Weer eens maak dit veediefstal ‘n uiters moeilike misdaad om op te los indien diere nie verbind kan word met die eienaar nie. Tesame met die merk van diere, is die artikels 6 en 8 dokumentasie wat lewendehawe moet vergesel as dit op ‘n nasionale pad vervoer word, van uiterste belang. Alle vee-eienaars moet aansoek doen vir ‘n geregistreerde brand/tatoeer merk by die Registrateur van Diere-Identifikasie.
  • Afgesien van die ekonomiese verlies verbonde aan veediefstal, hou die vervoer van diere ook ‘n groot risiko in vir die dieregesondheidstatus van die nasionale kudde, aangesien lewendehawe gesteel kan word in ‘n beheerde/aanmeldbare dieregesondheidsgebied en vervoer word na ‘n nie-geïnfekteerde gebied.
  • Vee-eienaars wat nie veediefstalsake aanmeld nie.

Beskik die SAPD oor die nodige kapasiteit om veediefstal effektief te bekamp?

Net soos enige ander staatsinstelling gaan die SAPD se veediefstaleenhede gebuk onder geweldige kapasiteits- en logistieke uitdagings. Voertuie is die grootste probleem, veral in provinsies waar baie groot afstande afgelê moet word. Die diens van voertuie is verder ‘n groot probleem en dit gebeur soms dat alle voertuie van eenhede gelyk gediens moet word of dat eenhede soms net met een/twee voertuie tot hul beskikking het.

Soos reeds gemeld is daar baie goeie ondersoekbeamptes, maar daar is ook gevalle waar die lede van die SAPD direk verbind word met veediefstalaangeleenthede.  Veediefstal is ‘n spesialis misdaad en derhalwe vereis dit goed opgeleide veediefstalspeurders. Die landelike gemeenskap is baie bekommerd oor die groot uittog van spesialis ondersoekbeamptes wat aftree-ouderdom bereik en hierdie aspek word binne die Nasionale Veediefstal Voorkomingsforum aangespreek.

Wat is die invloed van veediefstal op voedselsekuriteit ?

Die ekonomiese invloed van veediefstal in Suid-Afrika beloop miljoene rande en dit is nie beperk tot die kommersiële sektor alleen nie – met ‘n kudde van tien beeste van ‘n opkomende boer is dit ‘n 50% verlies aan inkomste as vyf beeste gesteel word, wat uiteraard sy ekonomiese oorlewingsvermoë in terme van boerdery beinvloed.

Dit is nie slegs die ekonomiese verlies van die dier wat gesteel word nie, maar ook sy reproduktiewe waarde wat gesteel word. Derhalwe hou veediefstal ‘n direkte sowel as ‘n indirekte ekonomiese verlies vir die vee-eienaar in.

Wat kan ons doen om die probleem aan te spreek ?

Die Nasionale Veediefstal Voorkomingsforum het tydens sy laaste vergadering weer sy strategiese plan afgestof en daar is besluit om op die volgende vier prioriteite te fokus:-

  • Neem aksie ten einde die merk (brand/tatoeer) van diere binne die provinsies te verhoog tot 80%.
  • Ontwerp ‘n model van geïntegreerde provinsiale vergaderings met veediefstalvoorkoming as ‘n prioriteit deur die deel van inligting en intelligensie, verhoudingsbou, veral met die SAPD en om te werk na geprioritiseerde uitkomste oor alle strukture binne die provinsies.
  • ‘n Gestruktureerde nasionale plan van aksie deur alle rolspelers om probleme te identifiseer, prioritiseer en kommunikeer ten einde boere, staatsaanklaers, lewendehawe-afslaers en lede van die SAPD in te lig oor die kernprosedures verbonde aan doeltreffende veediefstalvoorkoming en -beheer.
  • ‘n Hernude poging om die houding van vee-eienaars te beïnvloed om meer betrokke te raak by landelike veiligheidstrukture ter ondersteuning van die werksaamhede van alle rolspelers binne die Forum.

Die verhouding wat op nasionale en provinsiale vlak bestaan met Veediefstalkoördineers, moet uitgebou en versterk word. Samewerking is van uiterste belang, aangesien dit lei tot wedersydse sukses om veediefstalsake op te los.

‘n Oplossing vir die veediefstalprobleme in Suid-Afrika kan slegs bereik word as almal saamwerk.

Louis Wessels, Voorsitter :
Nasionale Veediefstal Voorkomingsforum

STOCK THEFT UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

Stock theft is as old as man himself and is already mentioned in the Bible. Stock theft is not unique to South Africa, but is a worldwide phenomenon.

Stock theft prevention has been awarded to the RPO per national instruction in its capacity as the representative of the livestock industry.

Challenges accompanied with stock theft

Various challenges are associated with stock theft:

  • Stock theft is nowadays synonymous with life-threatening circumstances for stock farmers due to the fact that stock thieves and syndicates are armed.
  • The investigation of a stock theft case counts under the most difficult because it occurs outdoors and critical evidence may be destroyed. In order to successfully prosecute a stock theft case, it is therefore important that, apart from the Vis-Pol official, the stock theft investigator reaches the scene urgently.
  • The lack of capacity within the SAPS and especially the supply of vehicles to the stock theft units, remains a headache. The investigating officers are with the exception of a few, well trained, but unfortunately there is an enormous shortage of manpower. Stock theft is a specialist crime and requires specialist investigating officers.
  • Sentencing of stock theft is not adequate and cases are frequently thrown out of court due to various reasons, for instance when the farmers’ affidavit differs from his statement in court. It is therefore imperative that the first statement is correctly recorded. Farmers have the right to make the statement in the language of their choice and to ensure that the factual content is correct before it is signed.
  • It is a perception that inexperienced prosecutors prosecute stock theft cases. However, Justice College of the National Prosecution Authority has started to launch specific training courses to empower prosecutors to effectively prosecute stock theft cases.
  • Stock theft is currently also associated with brutality and animal cruelty. It is therefore imperative that stock farmers also report animal welfare and abuse in their statement, because the NSPCA will be involved and it may lead to aggravated penalties.
  • Although pot slaughtering does occur, stock theft in South Africa is essentially a syndicate crime and should be categorised as such by the SAPS. Stock theft is regarded as a profitable crime. Animals are mostly stolen in rural areas and transported to urban areas, especially metropolitan areas, where it is presented for auction.
  • Farmers themselves are also guilty, as the percentage of animals which is unmarked, is very high. Marking of an animal (branding/tattooing) ensures ownership, an aspect which is critical to successfully resolve a stock theft case and obtain a sentence. Once again, this renders stock theft an extremely difficult crime to solve if animals cannot be linked to the owner. It is also very important that animals on a national road be accompanied by the section 6 and 8 documentation. All livestock owners must apply for a registered brand/tattoo mark with the Registrar of Animal Identification.
  • Apart from the economic losses associated with stock theft, the transportation of animals also poses a major risk for the animal health status of the national herd, because livestock can be stolen in a controlled/notifiable animal disease area and transported to a non-infected area.
  • Livestock owners who do not report stock theft cases.

Do the SAPS have the required capacity to effectively combat stock theft?

As is the case with any other state institution, the SAPS’ stock theft units are hampered by enormous capacity and logistical challenges. Vehicles present the biggest problem, especially in provinces where great distances have to be covered. Servicing of vehicles is a further problem and there are times when all the vehicles of the units have to be serviced at the same time, or that units have only one/two vehicles available at that point in time.

As already mentioned, there are very good investigating officers, but cases also exist where members of the SAPS are directly linked to stock theft matters. Stock theft is a specialist crime and therefore requires well trained stock theft investigators. The rural communities are very concerned about the great exodus of specialist investigating officers who retire, and this matter has been addressed by the National Stock Theft Prevention Forum.

What is the impact of livestock theft on food security?

The economic impact of stock theft in South Africa amounts to millions of rands and it is not limited to the commercial sector alone – if an emerging farmer has a herd of ten cattle, he will experience a loss of 50% in income if five cattle is stolen, which obviously has an influence on the economical survivability of the farming enterprise.

It is not only the economic loss of a stolen animal, but also its reproductive value that gets stolen. Therefore, stock theft presents a direct as well as an indirect economic loss to the livestock owner.

How can we address the problem?

The National Stock Theft Prevention Forum revived its strategic plan during its last meeting, and it was resolved to focus on the next four priorities:-

  • Take action to increase the marking (brand/tattoo) of animals within the provinces to 80%.
  • Design a model of integrated provincial meetings with crime prevention as a priority by the sharing of information and intelligence, building of relationships, especially with the SAPS, and to work towards prioritised outcomes across all structures within the provinces.
  • A structured national plan of action by all role players to identify, prioritise and communicate problems in order to inform farmers, prosecutors, livestock auctioneers and members of the SAPS on the core procedures associated with effective stock theft prevention and -control.
  • A renewed effort to influence the attitude of livestock owners to be more involved with rural safety structures in the support of the activities of all role players within the Forum.

The existing relationship on national and provincial level with stock theft coordinators must be extended and strengthened. Cooperation is of utmost importance because it leads to mutual success in solving stock theft cases.

A solution for stock theft problems in South Africa can only be reached if everybody cooperates.

Louis Wessels, Chairman :
National Stock Theft Prevention Forum