Stock theft continues to devastate farming communities across the Eastern Cape, threatening livelihoods, weakening rural economies, and reducing food security for the province. This is no longer only a policing concern. It is an agricultural, economic, and humanitarian crisis.
Large-scale farming operations, which provide the majority of affordable food in the province, are being systematically undermined by ongoing theft. Subsistence farmers and small-scale herd owners face even harsher consequences, as each stolen animal removes food directly from their families’ tables, pushing households deeper into poverty and hunger.
The challenge is made worse by persistent resource shortages within law enforcement, where limited transport and personnel often result in delays before crime scenes are attended to. Such delays hinder investigations, allow evidence to deteriorate, and enable suspects to evade justice.
The challenge is compounded by lengthy justice processes, where repeated remands often discourage complainants and make it harder to secure witness testimony. This creates gaps that offenders can exploit. To restore confidence, case management must be strengthened, timelines tightened, and communities assured that reporting stock theft will lead to visible outcomes.
The National Rural Safety Strategy exists, yet its implementation in provinces such as the Eastern Cape remains slow and ineffective. There is a clear absence of urgency and commitment from SAPS to fully execute its provisions.
The DA believes that decisive action must target the problem where it is most severe. This means focusing on high-risk stock theft corridors, particularly those near borders, livestock auctions, and known kraals. Proactive measures, such as night checkpoints, brand verification blitzes, and trailer inspections, must become routine. At the same time, the Department of Agriculture should lead in educating farmers, scaling up livestock branding, and ensuring that recovery and prevention measures are fully supported at the community level.
I will write to the MEC for Agriculture, Nonceba Kontsiwe, urging her to identify ways in which her Department can play a proactive role in combating this very real threat against our farmers’ livelihoods and the province’s food security. She must also collaborate with the Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major-General Thandiswa Kupiso, in establishing a formal framework for preventing, responding to, and recovering from stock theft.
The DA will continue to press for decisive action to protect farmers, restore trust in the justice system, and strengthen food security for every household in the Eastern Cape. The people of this province deserve leadership that prioritises safety, opportunity, and dignity for all.