The North West department of agriculture and rural development has condemned the actions of one of their own senior colleagues who stand accused of stock theft in the province.
Gift Ramadie, a part-time farmer and chief director of the North West department of education, and his worker Goitsemodimo Modukanele, are currently out on bail. This follows their arrest on Friday, 19 February 2021.
The two were busted after about 100 stolen cattle and calves were found in their possession on Ramadie’s farm. This included a stud bull valued at R120 000 and six stud Bonsmara cattle valued at an estimated value of R189 000.
ALSO READ: Stock theft: Education boss busted for stolen cattle
The North West department of agriculture and rural development’s acting head of department, Dipepeneneg Serage, said they strongly condemned livestock and agricultural infrastructure theft. This threatens food security, he believes.
Serage told Food For Mzansi, “We applaud the farmers for their initiative that yielded results (in recovering the stolen cattle). We urge all farmers to ensure the livestock is branded, as failure to apply for official brand mark contravenes the animal identification act.”
The suspects will be back in court on Tuesday, 6 April 2021. According to North West NPA spokesperson Henry Mamothame the Delareyville magistrate’s court has granted Ramadie and Modukanele bail of R29 000 and R1 000, respectively.
Mamothame told Food For Mzansi “From the recovered livestock, 11 cattle were positively identified by owners while others were seized by the police for further investigations to be conducted.”
Free State rural safety plan
Meanwhile Free State Agriculture (FSA) has requested that the police, together with farming communities, to roll out the rural safety strategy.
This must be done with accompanying security plans, increased policing actions and the establishment of task teams in rural areas in order to establish greater security in communities, said FSA.
Jakkals le Roux, chairman of the FSA’s rural safety committee, believes the lack of this strategy has led to increased crime in the province.
FSA safety risk analyst Dr Jane Buys said, “We refuse to accept that the wave of crime that terrorises communities should simply be accepted that way. The re-implementation of the rural safety strategy with the same seriousness and political will is simple and can be done.”
