VIGILANTISM FOLLOWING A STOCK THEFT INCIDENT AT MAVELE VILLAGE IN LETSITELE POLICING PRECINCT
POLOKWANE: The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has strongly warned community members against the unacceptable acts of vigilantism. This follows a stock theft incident reported at Mavele village in Letsitele policing area on Tuesday, 12 December 2023 at around 10:00
It is alleged that three people were attacked and assaulted by angry community members who spotted a suspicious white Toyota Quantum parked in bushy terrain. They mobilised and approached the said vehicle.
They found five occupants, and two of them managed to run away from the community. Three occupants were cornered and assaulted allegedly after they recovered cattle carcasses in their minibus, Toyota Quantum. They also torched the vehicle.
The Police were summoned to the scene. Upon arrival, community members dispersed. They found the trio (two women and one male) in possession of about 07 carcasses of cattle, and some were already cut into pieces. Victims were taken to the local clinic for medical treatment.
Preliminary investigations linked them with the stock theft cases that occurred in the Letsitele policing precinct and surrounding areas. The three suspects have been arrested.
“The stock theft has reached unprecedented levels. We call upon our communities to resist the temptation of stealing livestock since it has detrimental effects. We have witnessed many people being subjected to vigilantism as a result of stock theft,” said Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe.
“We wish to call upon our communities to respect the law and report criminal activities to the police without hesitation,” concluded Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe.
The three arrested suspects aged between 38 and 43 will appear before Ritavi Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 14 December 2023, facing possession of suspected stolen livestock.
Anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of more suspects involved in stock theft and vigilantism should contact Detective Sergeant Motsitsile Thobejane on 082 565 8596, or crime stop number on 08600 10111, the nearest police station, or MySAPSApp.
The police investigations are still continuing.
