Stock Theft

cross-border cattle rustlers have formed syndicates that are well co-ordinated. These syndicates steal stock from farmers and drive them across to neighbouring countries. Our experience has shown that livestock are stolen from camps, grazing land, and from kraals. There are particular cases where farmers lost the whole herds of cattle to these cunning rustlers. From our country they are driven on hooves through the boundary line separating Swaziland, Republic of South Africa and Mozambique. The main targeted markets are the auction sales especially in the Republic of South Africa. However, goats are sold to individuals. This modus operandi indicates that cattle rustlers syndicates are able to collaborate and co-ordinate their activities in almost all the affected countries. This therefore, brings to the importance of close co-operation between all neighbouring countries and other law enforcement agencies.

Regional Chiefs of Police Chairpersons’ meeting of 26th April 2024 in Lyon, France, formally recognised stock theft as a transnational organised crime that shares a nexus with various forms of TOC.

Investigating stock theft cases requires an organised crime approach with equally enhanced resources.