We don’t want another bloodbath due to stock theft — king

AmaMpondomise traditional leaders fear that increasing stock theft and killings could lead to the situation in the early 1990s when more than 400 people were murdered, homesteads burned and families forced to flee due to faction fights in the region.

This was raised when transport and community safety MEC Xolile Nqatha attended a community imbizo at AmaMpondomise’s Kroza Great Place in Qumbu on Friday.

AmaMpondomise King Zwelozuko Luzuko Matiwane said he did not want the land of his forefathers to be soaked in blood because of stock theft.

“Our forefathers fought many wars and battles protecting the land invasion by British colonisers and many families died in those wars. 

“That is the reason we still have the land and the kingdom of AmaMpondomise because of the resilience of our forebears.

“But in the early ’90s, we had in our lifetime experienced an unnecessary bloodbath — my father’s people fought among themselves, killing each other, creating hatred and circles of revenge attacks — all because of livestock.

“Now we see that rot emerging and threatening the safety of the people.

“This is something that should be stopped as it starts.

“We need to ensure peace and harmony,” the king said.

Matiwane and his traditional leaders have urged the provincial government, SAPS top brass and other law enforcement agencies to intervene in the stock theft crisis in Qumbu and Tsolo.

Year after year, the police stations in the two towns of the Mhlonto Local Municipality have ranked first in the country with the highest reported cases of stock theft.

Nqatha, police provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Nomthetheleli Mene and community safety department head Vuyani Mapolisa attended the imbizo, along with hundreds of AmaMpondomise.

Senior AmaMpondomise traditional leader Nkosi Phakamisa Tyali, whose family have also been victims of stock theft, said stock thieves feared nobody, even royalty.

“The stock theft statistics at our police station is cause for concern.

“We are slowly coming back to the situation that we top the bloody situation of the ’90s where we had stock theft fights among gangs calling themselves Iinkumpa and Iinkqay,i killing people and burning homesteads.

“We fear the current situation is getting out of hand. We do not want a bloodbath.

“Stock owners will defend themselves and their livestock from the provocations of those stealing their animals.

“[It is not just stock theft] but armed men raid homes and kraals with big guns and rob people of their livestock, at night and in broad daylight.

“They do not hesitate to kill any of those who attempt to stop them.

“We have seen many people killed for their animals and see many killed because they are accused of stock theft,” Tyali said.

He said during the 1990s, the Qumbu and Tsolo police stations were prioritised nationally.

“We call for the deployment of specialised stock theft police.

“Stock theft is the cause of many crimes in our kingdom.

“If we, the police, government, and traditional leaders and their people can deal with this as a united [front], we can defeat it,” Tyali said.

Traditional leaders called for traditional policing to be spread to all traditional communities.

Other serious crimes such as gender-based violence and drug dealing, as well as the high proliferation of firearms, were also of concern.

The traditional leaders also called for the protection of mineral and natural resources, such as the region’s forests.

In recent weeks, police have recovered more than 320 stolen cattle, horses, sheep and goats, with a combined value of more than R1.3m, during several operations in Qumbu and Tsolo.

KwaBhaca (Mount Frere) ranks first for stock theft, provincially and nationally, followed by Qumbu, Mthatha, Tsolo and Bhityi.

Nqatha said strong collaboration between the police and communities was needed to address crime.

“Crime affects us all, and we need to work together to successfully root it out in our communities.

“This area is hard hit by incidents of murder, stock theft, gender-based violence, and extortion, and communities are living in fear,” Nqatha said.

The provincial government plans to roll out a livestock identification and traceability system in villages and farms besieged by stock theft.

Livestock owners will be issued with an electronic ear tag for their animals, which will be added to a central database.

The system will be rolled out in the province by April.

Losses incurred by rural farmers annually due to stock theft were estimated at more than R4m, Nqatha said.

In 2021, the department launched traditional policing to fight crime, in partnership with the kingdom, communities and various stakeholders.

“We deployed two police officials and delivered a light delivery police van and a truck equipped with the community service centre, but crime is still high here,” he said.

“The relations between traditional leaders and local municipalities must be strengthened.

“To embark on crime reduction, we have also signed an MOU with the department of rural development and agrarian reform which is focused on efforts to improve management and recovery of stolen stock using technology and stock branding.”

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