The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape commends the SAPS for the successful recovery of suspected stolen livestock worth over R3 million in a major rural safety operation across the Alfred Nzo, Joe Gqabi, and OR Tambo districts.
A total of 231 cattle, 81 sheep, and 78 goats were recovered, marking a significant victory in our ongoing efforts to combat stock theft in the province.
Stock theft has become one of the gravest threats facing farmers in the Eastern Cape. Each day, farmers wake with the fear of discovering that their herds are gone. These crimes not only devastate livelihoods but also endanger the safety, security, and lives of those who live and work in rural areas.
Our farmers are at breaking point.
The safety of our agricultural communities must be treated as a priority. When rural safety fails, food security, employment, and economic growth are all placed at risk. Agriculture remains one of the Eastern Cape’s most vital sectors and must be protected.
While this successful operation demonstrates what is possible when SAPS acts decisively, it also exposes the lack of structural support available to prevent stock theft in the first place. Surveillance, livestock tracking, and rural patrol collaboration are virtually non-existent in many high-risk areas.
I will table a motion in the Legislature tomorrow calling on Agriculture MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe to urgently establish a formal collaboration between her Department and SAPS on rural safety. This must include ring-fenced funding for livestock surveillance technologies, support for farmers to tag and track animals, and coordination with community policing forums in agricultural zones.
This approach aligns with the DA’s broader efforts to improve rural safety in the province. My colleague, Yusuf Cassim MPL, has already championed a motion to increase the Community Safety budget to support surveillance technology, which the ANC regrettably voted down. The need for action remains, and this motion seeks to ensure Agriculture does not remain absent from this critical conversation.
These tools are not luxuries. They are necessities if we are serious about protecting farmers and restoring faith in rural law enforcement and governance.
The DA remains committed to fighting for those who feed our nation. We will continue to advocate for practical, coordinated strategies that support our farmers, safeguard rural livelihoods, and ensure that every person in the Eastern Cape is safe and secure.
This crisis must be met with urgency. It must be stopped.