In a bid to help combat this crime, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development handed over risk management equipment, which included animal tracking devices to farmers from Thaba Nchu, Botshabelo, Wepener, as well as farmers from Bainsvlei Commercial farms on Friday. 

See PODCAST below

The department says in a statement that this programme was initiated to help mitigate against the ever-rising livestock theft cases in the province which threaten food security and job creation.

Bulwane highlighted that especially those farmers located next to the Lesotho border are plagued by stock theft.

OFM News previously reported that in May this year, Bulwane, along with Free State Agriculture (FSA), the MEC of Police, Roads and Transport, Sam Mashinini, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Lesotho officials, among others, held a meeting in the Klaarwater area.

Francois Wilken, president of FSA, told OFM News that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss livestock theft and the illegal entry of Lesotho citizens into the Klaarwater area.

It has been pointed out that livestock and especially car theft from South Africa are among the troubling issues that need urgent attention.

READ: Lesotho-grens in kollig tydens vergadering tussen VS- en Lesotho rolspelers

Furthermore, the Lesotho police officers requested that they want better cooperation with the SAPS. They request that the local police act more quickly when they are notified of South African offenders caught in Lesotho.

Meanwhile, farmers also received drones. Bulwane added that the drones will come in handy when farmers need to locate their animals after a flood, or when they get a notification that the animals have moved, they will be able to use the drone to see where they have moved to.

The programme is expected to be rolled out to other districts in the Free State.  

OFM News