FOOT AND MOUTH PAINS

 

Two farmers narrowly escaped death this past weekend after an alleged livestock thief hacked them with an axe during a violent confrontation in Tloaneng.

Police say the attack is linked to a growing wave of stock theft during the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) crisis.

The incident occurred around six in the morning after the farmers had spent the night patrolling their area, which has been plagued by criminals stealing power cables and livestock.

According to one of the victims, the men had just separated to return home when they received a tip-off about a suspicious vehicle stuck near their yard.

“When we arrived, we found a man there. We asked him what he was doing, but instead of answering properly, he became aggressive and claimed his car was stuck.’’

They tried to question him further, but a struggle broke out.

“In the process, he pulled out an axe and hacked us both on the head before fleeing the scene.”

The suspect allegedly escaped in a getaway vehicle, leaving the two men bleeding. They managed to call for help and were rushed to the hospital. They have since been treated and discharged.

Confirming the incident, Assistant Superintendent Mompoloki Ramaphoi, Acting Station Commander of Mogoditshane, said the suspect is still at large.

“We strongly suspect he is the same man we have been hunting. He has three to four pending cases of a similar nature. We found a Volvo model there, stuck in the sand. Inside the boot was a freshly slaughtered cow,” Ramaphoi said.

Police believe the attack is directly linked to increased livestock theft during the ongoing Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak and the government-imposed ban on slaughtering cloven-hoofed animals.

Ramaphoi said criminals are taking advantage of the situation while farmers are already under pressure from movement restrictions and the slaughter ban.

“Observation is that thieves are breaking into kraals, killing livestock and taking them away, but we do acknowledge that some animals are being slaughtered secretly by owners too,” he said.

Authorities say some individuals are attempting to bypass regulations by transporting livestock at night, sometimes covering animals with blankets to avoid detection.

Others are allegedly slaughtering in secret during funerals and private gatherings despite the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture regulations prohibiting such activities.

They warn that people think they are being clever, but if animals being transported are found to be infected, the law says all animals will be destroyed, and a farmer can lose everything.

In another incident that occurred in Rakola this past weekend, near Gabane, thieves struck at Omphile Nkwe’s kraal, killing three goats before they were caught red-handed by police.

“They are terrorising me, a day before Christmas last year, they killed four goats. Now three are gone again. This is devastating,” Nkwe said.