By Tatiana Mhararira
Police in Chiredzi has urged members of the public to continue working with police to curb stock theft as the number of cases of stock theft have decreased owing to the cooperation between communities and the police.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Officer Commanding Chiredzi District Superintendent Robert Chihwerera said this during an anti-stock theft campaign held at Chief Chilonga’s homestead in Chiredzi.
“The only way we can stop these stock thieves is enhancing cooperation between police, chiefs, headmen and the community. If we don’t work together these menaces are going to continue preying on people’s livestock because it will not be easy to apprehend them,” said Chihwerera.
He said this year, through unity among members of the community, police and local leadership stock theft cases had decreased which shows that if people leave individuality behind and work together they can overcome many challenges.
“From 2022 to 2023 there were 360 stock theft cases, in 2023 May to April 2024 we recorded 347 and this shows a drop by 13 in the statistics.
“It is clear from the statistics that if the community work together they can overcome stock theft as well as other challenges because individualism gives room for thieves to pounce on your livestock,” said Chihwerera.
He said in Chiredzi District, 64 people had been arrested for stock theft in 2024.
This year in March, a herd of 13 cattle was stolen and Chilonga community informed police who managed to apprehend the cattle rustlers.
At an anti-stock theft campaign held in Gutu on March 5, 2024, it was revealed that there was an 11 percent increase in cases involving cattle from 560 cases in 2022 to 619 cases in 2023 in the district.
Some of the cases were said to be deboning which was said to be rampant in Gutu and Chatsworth area with 2 550 arrests having been made for other stock theft-related offenses in 2023.
