KZN farmers’ livelihoods impacted by stock theft

Farmers in the northern region of KwaZulu-Natal are reporting that persistent livestock theft is jeopardizing their livelihoods. During a meeting with Premier Thami Ntuli and senior South African Police Service officials in Vryheid, commercial and subsistence farmers expressed their concerns. The extent of the issue includes not only animal theft but also farm attacks, as well as inadequate police resources. Farmers also criticized what they deemed to be lenient punishment for offenders.

Premier Ntuli has called for immediate action against stock theft, stating that the issue must be addressed urgently. In Vryheid, farmer Jaco Duminy echoed these concerns, calling for more stringent measures against the criminals committing these crimes. "The problem is partly a member problem. I grew up in Vryheid and started farming in the early 90s.

The Vryheid unit had more than 40 persons, but how many do we have today? The second thing is vehicles. We don’t have enough vehicles to attend all the cases," Duminy stated.