Farmers take to the streets

2004-06-17 19:58

Carolina - Sheep farmers wanting to draw attention to a stock theft problem in Mpumalanga staged a protest in Carolina on Thursday.

Hundreds of farmers paraded along Carolina's main road, while supportive onlookers cheered and waved banners, said protest organiser Willie Schoeman.

Police Superintendent Izak van Zyl said the protest went peacefully.

The farmers handed a memorandum to the Highveld Police Commissioner, George Seswike.

"The commissioner has sympathy with our plight, we value this," said Schoeman.

However, he said the farmers did not just want promises from the government. "We want help. I hope they will come back to us and tell us what they will do."

The farmers are asking for: the upgrading of the local police service;

the reinstatement of stock theft units with sufficient man power and equipment; and

the retention of the commando systems.

Schoeman said the stock theft units did not have enough personnel or equipment to do their job properly.

"If they had dogs, the dogs could pick up the spoor of the thieves, and then maybe there would be a chance to catch them," he told Sapa.

The farmers also called for increased sentences for stock theft.

Jails no deterrent

The memorandum stated: "Jails are five star hotels. Life in prison must be such that prisoners fear jail, otherwise prison is not a deterrent."

Said Schoeman: "They must make life difficult for prisoners. Make them work. Then they will be tired in the evenings and they won't have time to think out all this nonsense."

Widespread stock theft was affecting the country as a whole, and particularly the Carolina area, the memorandum stated.

Last year 13 000 sheep and 7 000 cattle were stolen in Mpumalanga alone.

Farmers said this was deterring people from keeping sheep. Sheep farming activities dropped by a third in the last four years: there were 150 000 sheep in the region in 1999, now there were only 55 000.

Van Zyl said the farmers had made some useful suggestions. "There was a good interaction between police and farmers today."

Schoeman agreed: "This is really a big story. It cost us a lot of effort to bring it up.

"We are full of confidence that the government will support us."

- SAPA