Eastern Cape police have recovered five of the 78 sheep, and three cattle valued at R36,000 that were reported stolen over the weekend.
Provincial police spokesperson Captain Khaya Tonjeni said 78 sheep were reported stolen at the Cathcart police station. He said two suspects were arrested.
“The Queenstown [now Komani] Stock Theft Unit followed information about the missing stolen stock at Sada township [in Whittlesea] where one sheep carcass was recovered from male suspects and another five sheep were recovered from the home of a second suspect.”
He said the recovered stock was positively identified by the owner and handed over.
“The operation will continue until the rest of the sheep have been recovered,” Tonjeni said.
Both suspects, aged 28 and 38, are due to appear in the Cathcart magistrate’s court on Thursday for stock theft. In a separate incident, Dutywa police recovered three cattle valued at R36,000. Police spokesperson Captain Jackson Manatha said no one was arrested. “No suspect was arrested as the cattle were found with no one looking after them. The cattle have been given to their lawful owner. Police are still looking for the suspects.” Last week, police found a stolen sheep hidden in a house in Mzamomhle township in Beacon Bay and two suspects were arrested.
Eastern Cape acting Provincial police commissioner Major-General Thembeka Dyantyi welcomed the arrests.
“Our operations must break the backbone of stock theft,” she said...