Eastern Cape farmers lost more than R260m due to stock theft and poaching in the previous financial year, with thousands of sheep, goats and cattle reported stolen from farms in the province.
Game farmers have also reported horrendous scenes, with wild animals caught in snares, hunted with packs of dogs or stoned to death.
In one incident near Makhanda, poachers managed to string up a giraffe by its neck by putting snares in trees.
Added to the crippling financial losses are fears over their safety, farmers say.
The R260m figure is for the period between April 2019 and March 2020 and is based on incidents reported to the police.
But researchers specialising in stock-theft prevention believe the actual number could be up to four times higher.
According to the National Stock Theft Prevention Forum, stock theft accounted for R1.4bn worth of losses nationally, with the Eastern Cape accounting for R263m.
A report compiled by the forum showed that the Eastern Cape had by far the most sheep reported stolen between July 2019 and September 2020, at 11,506.
The closest was the Free State, with 5,589, less than half that of the Eastern Cape.
Over the same period, 3,124 heads of cattle were reported stolen, as well as 2,497 boer goats and 176 horses.
Forum chair Willie Clack said that in the previous financial year stolen cattle in the Eastern Cape accounted for R142m, while sheep and goats accounted for R98m and R23m, respectively.
Our studies have shown that as much as 80% of stock theft is not reported to the police
“However, these figures only account for cases that were actually reported to the police,” Clack said.
“Our studies have shown that as much as 80% of stock theft is not reported to the police.
“If we take that into account, the actual amount lost in the previous financial year would be staggering.
“It would mean that the Eastern Cape alone lost more than R1.3bn due to stock theft.”
This figure only accounts for cattle, sheep and goats.
Other livestock, as well as wildlife lost to poaching, still needs to be added to reach the final tally of losses to the agricultural industry.
Agri Eastern Cape rural safety subcommittee chair Alfonso van Niekerk agreed that the actual figure was much higher.
“These are only the cases reported by members of Agri EC, and only the ones we are aware of,” he said.
“Many farmers have given up reporting these cases because the majority of the investigations lead to nothing.
“So it is impossible to know exactly how many instances of stock theft there really were, or what the true impact of stock theft is on the farmers and the economy.”
Van Niekerk said hotspots included Komani, Stutterheim and Cathcart, while Alexandria, Dordrecht and Elliot have shown significant increases since October.
“Every year we see an increase in stock theft as Christmas approaches.
“Not only are farmers suffering financial losses, but their safety is also at risk.”
Glenconnor Farmers’ Association chair Eardley Rudman said his family’s farming operation near Uitenhage suffered a R180,000 loss in July and August alone, when 60 boer goats were stolen.
“Some of these goats recently gave birth,” he said.
“Those kids were left to fend for themselves and, unfortunately, we could not save all of them, which further worsens our financial loss.
“Add to that the additional security measures we had to put in place since then and the economic impact is significant.”
Rudman said they already made use of private security, but had to install additional cameras and employ more guards to curb stock theft.
The wildlife industry, one of the Eastern Cape’s biggest agricultural money-spinners, has also recorded major losses.
While the number of animals lost was far lower than that of stock farmers, the prices per animal were often significantly higher.
Wildlife Ranching SA chair Gerhard Heyneke said poaching on game farms was an ever-present concern and the losses were sometimes connected to gruesome scenes.
“While many incidents involve smaller game, we’ve seen cases where larger animals fell prey to poachers.
“In one case in the Eastern Cape, poachers managed to string a giraffe up by its neck by putting snares in trees.
“That is a terribly gruesome and violent way of killing an animal,” Heyneke said.
He said other large wildlife often poached for meat included buffalo, sable, zebra and wildebeest.
At game auctions, average buffalo prices start between R100,000 and R1m but can reach into tens of millions of rand.
Sable prices also start between R50,000 and R1m.
Heyneke said the poachers often damaged farm perimeter fences, allowing the wildlife to roam.
They often ended up on busy roads and were hit by vehicles, or jumped fences onto other farms.
John Hurter, vice-chair of the Eastern Cape branch of Wildlife Ranching SA, said small game like warthogs, impala, bushbuck and smaller antelope breeds were more often poached, and farms close to busy routes were most commonly targeted.
“The closer you get to towns or small rural settlements, you will normally see an increase in poaching incidents,” he said.
“Game that roams close to fences next to busy roads also makes for an easy target.
“Many farmers have had to add cameras and other costly security measures along the road in an attempt to scare off criminals or to make reporting the crimes easier after the fact.”
A major concern for Van Niekerk was farmers’ reluctance to report stock theft and poaching as they questioned the outcome of investigations.
He urged them to continue reporting even small incidents to bolster statistics and force a reaction.
“Every year crime stats are released, and if no cases are reported none are reflected in the stats.
If the stats show no stock theft, then people will assume it is no longer a problem and we might see stock theft units closed down or police funding shifted elsewhere
“If the stats show no stock theft, then people will assume it is no longer a problem and we might see stock theft units closed down or police funding shifted elsewhere.
“Then we have no chance of ever combating stock theft in the Eastern Cape,” Van Niekerk said.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Sibongile Soci said stock theft was an ongoing threat to people’s livelihood, with the province’s eastern region identified as a hotspot.
“The SAPS calls on farmers and stock owners to count their stock regularly and immediately report any missing stock or stock recovered.
“We urge stock owners to utilise modern animal markings in line with government legislation as this helps to identify livestock and resolve ownership disputes, as well as assist with court proceedings.”
Soci said the recent arrest of a 41-year-old woman, linked to a string of stock theft cases around Makhanda, had seen reported cases in that region decline significantly.
Ntandokazi Xoliswa Mbombo, who was arrested on May 27 in KwaZulu-Natal, was implicated in multiple cases of stock theft and fraud when she failed to produce satisfactory records for stock believed to be stolen.
“She is suspected to be the mastermind behind a ruthless stock theft syndicate that began its activities in and around Grahamstown [Makhanda] from 2011,” Soci said.
“At least 411 head of cattle, with an estimated value of R6.165m are suspected to have been stolen by this stock-theft gang.”
She said the case was with the Director of Public Prosecution’s office in Mthatha for a decision on whether to proceed with prosecution.
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