MEC of finance in the Eastern Cape Sakhumzi Somyo has distanced himself from a fellow ANC member accused of stealing six cattle worth an estimated R30000 from a Seymour farmer. The farmer has since died.
Rooi Kota, 52, a member of the ANC’s interim branch committee in Ward 4 of Nkonkobe Municipality, is due to appear in the Seymour Regional Court on April 11 where he will be asked to plead to a charge of stock theft.
He is currently out on R1500 bail.
He was arrested last year and has already appeared in the Seymour Magistrate’s Court four times, the last being February 4, where his case was transferred to the Regional Court.
Somyo currently has livestock valued at more than R300000 grazing on Kota’s land.
The MEC confirmed yesterday that his cattle including calves were on the land but added this would not be for much longer due to the criminal case. He said the incident was regrettable and he was looking for alternative land to keep his livestock.
“There are currently 39 cattle including calves. I am currently in negotiation with potential landowners and by end of March I would have taken the livestock away,” he said.
Although the MEC has not been questioned because he is not a suspect, he said he was aware of the stock theft case that his political colleague was involved in.
“I have been made aware of the case involving him . I have even met with the commander who is in charge of this case because I do not want to be associated with criminality.”
Police spokeswoman Lieutenant Siphokazi Mawisa said Kota had been arrested after members from the police’s Seymour stock theft unit acted on a tip-off from a member of the community and stopped a truck on the R67.
The vehicle was heading to Queenstown where the cattle were going to be delivered.
“(Police stopped) the driver of a truck delivering cattle who told them he had bought them from Rooi Kota,” said Mawisa. “The driver produced proof of payment and permission to transport the cattle. A statement was obtained from him before he was released.”
Police later raided Kota’s Nico Malan farm outside Seymour and arrested him on charges of stock theft.
“We then called on farmers in the area to come identify the stock and there was one farmer who identified all six cattle as his by a form of branding.
“Unfortunately that farmer passed away during the course of our investigation,” Mawisa said, adding his death had not affected the case.
Provincial police spokeswoman Colonel Sibongile Soci said stock theft was a priority crime as livestock was the livelihood for the poorest of the poor in the Eastern Cape.
In 2015 alone police recovered 1889 stolen cattle, 1400 sheep, 560 goats and 70 horses. Most stock in the province is stolen in winter during the circumcision period.
Soci again emphasised the importance of livestock branding saying it could save farmers a great deal of money and the stress that results from non-recovery. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
Theft charge for ANC man
Rooi Kota, 52, a member of the ANC’s interim branch committee in Ward 4 of Nkonkobe Municipality, is due to appear in the Seymour Regional Court on April 11 where he will be asked to plead to a charge of stock theft.
He is currently out on R1500 bail.
He was arrested last year and has already appeared in the Seymour Magistrate’s Court four times, the last being February 4, where his case was transferred to the Regional Court.
Somyo currently has livestock valued at more than R300000 grazing on Kota’s land.
The MEC confirmed yesterday that his cattle including calves were on the land but added this would not be for much longer due to the criminal case. He said the incident was regrettable and he was looking for alternative land to keep his livestock.
“There are currently 39 cattle including calves. I am currently in negotiation with potential landowners and by end of March I would have taken the livestock away,” he said.
Although the MEC has not been questioned because he is not a suspect, he said he was aware of the stock theft case that his political colleague was involved in.
“I have been made aware of the case involving him . I have even met with the commander who is in charge of this case because I do not want to be associated with criminality.”
Police spokeswoman Lieutenant Siphokazi Mawisa said Kota had been arrested after members from the police’s Seymour stock theft unit acted on a tip-off from a member of the community and stopped a truck on the R67.
The vehicle was heading to Queenstown where the cattle were going to be delivered.
“(Police stopped) the driver of a truck delivering cattle who told them he had bought them from Rooi Kota,” said Mawisa. “The driver produced proof of payment and permission to transport the cattle. A statement was obtained from him before he was released.”
Police later raided Kota’s Nico Malan farm outside Seymour and arrested him on charges of stock theft.
“We then called on farmers in the area to come identify the stock and there was one farmer who identified all six cattle as his by a form of branding.
“Unfortunately that farmer passed away during the course of our investigation,” Mawisa said, adding his death had not affected the case.
Provincial police spokeswoman Colonel Sibongile Soci said stock theft was a priority crime as livestock was the livelihood for the poorest of the poor in the Eastern Cape.
In 2015 alone police recovered 1889 stolen cattle, 1400 sheep, 560 goats and 70 horses. Most stock in the province is stolen in winter during the circumcision period.
Soci again emphasised the importance of livestock branding saying it could save farmers a great deal of money and the stress that results from non-recovery. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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