POLICE arrested two Mthatha church members and confiscated the carcasses of 12 stolen sheep in their church on Good Friday.
The sheep were slaughtered for dinner for congregants for Good Friday and the entire Easter weekend. “But not all knew that the would-be-dinner was stolen,” police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela said yesterday.
Police preferred not to name the church, which is in Corhana in Mthatha.
Fatyela said the two arrested – a woman aged 49 and man aged 52 – were among the worshippers when they were arrested on the church premises . A third person was arrested at Mandela Park near Mthatha on Sunday, the day the resurrection of Jesus Christ is celebrated – but the suspect was not a member of the church.
Fatyela said the sheep were stolen at Xhwili village in Bityi near Mthatha on March 26. “There were 15 stolen and the suspects have to tell us where the other three are,” said Fatyela.
Xhwili is an area known for high levels of stock theft.
He said the church as an organisation was not implicated, only its two members.
“Apparently the church wanted to buy sheep to slaughter for the Easter weekend and the two church members volunteered to buy for them. They were given money by the congregation. But apparently the suspects had a connection with the third suspect and the three organised the theft unknown to the church,” said Fatyela.
He said that the sheep were identified by one of the congregants who is a neighbour of the owner of the sheep.
“He identified them by their identification mark and branding. The owner came and positively identified them. If it was not for the neighbour the sheep would not have been recovered.”
Fatyela said that it was shocking to have church members stealing and bringing stolen property to a church ceremony.
“It makes it worse that it is Easter weekend. It is a disgrace . We expect church members to be part of fighting crime, not being criminal elements. We are going to trace if they are not involved in other cases of stock theft,” said Fatyela.
The trio is expected to appear at Mthatha Magistrate’s Court today. —
Cops raid church as congregants feast on ‘stolen’ sheep
The sheep were slaughtered for dinner for congregants for Good Friday and the entire Easter weekend. “But not all knew that the would-be-dinner was stolen,” police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela said yesterday.
Police preferred not to name the church, which is in Corhana in Mthatha.
Fatyela said the two arrested – a woman aged 49 and man aged 52 – were among the worshippers when they were arrested on the church premises . A third person was arrested at Mandela Park near Mthatha on Sunday, the day the resurrection of Jesus Christ is celebrated – but the suspect was not a member of the church.
Fatyela said the sheep were stolen at Xhwili village in Bityi near Mthatha on March 26. “There were 15 stolen and the suspects have to tell us where the other three are,” said Fatyela.
Xhwili is an area known for high levels of stock theft.
He said the church as an organisation was not implicated, only its two members.
“Apparently the church wanted to buy sheep to slaughter for the Easter weekend and the two church members volunteered to buy for them. They were given money by the congregation. But apparently the suspects had a connection with the third suspect and the three organised the theft unknown to the church,” said Fatyela.
He said that the sheep were identified by one of the congregants who is a neighbour of the owner of the sheep.
“He identified them by their identification mark and branding. The owner came and positively identified them. If it was not for the neighbour the sheep would not have been recovered.”
Fatyela said that it was shocking to have church members stealing and bringing stolen property to a church ceremony.
“It makes it worse that it is Easter weekend. It is a disgrace . We expect church members to be part of fighting crime, not being criminal elements. We are going to trace if they are not involved in other cases of stock theft,” said Fatyela.
The trio is expected to appear at Mthatha Magistrate’s Court today. —
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