ZRP boss says cops part of cattle rustlers

Addressing hundreds of angry Enqameni villagers at Sibona under Chief Mathema on Friday, Officer Commanding Gwanda, Chief Superintendent Enock Sibanda, urged communities to work with the police in eradicating cases of stock theft.

Sibona villagers had threatened to take the law into their own hands like their Matshetsheni counterparts who, a fortnight ago, burnt homesteads belonging to suspected cattle rustlers.

“Police do get involved in crime, we are not saying that they are all saints; that is why we should work together in identifying culprits instead of taking the law into our own hands,” said Chief Superintendent Sibanda.

He said this after being presented with a livestock clearance form which indicated the buyer and seller having the same particulars.

“We have seen the clearance form and it is clear that something was not done right here, we will make a follow up on the issue.”

The villagers, through their member of parliament, Madodana Sibanda, had invited the police to find out why cattle rustlers were being let loose.

“The problem we are having is that the police are the ones who clear these cattle which finally end up in abattoirs in Bulawayo. They are corruptly working hand in glove with cattle rustlers and share the money when the cattle are sold, no wonder most of them are driving cars,” bemoaned a villager.

Superintendent Sibanda said although there has been an increase in case of stock theft few arrests were being made. He urged villagers to brand their cattle, pen them and report missing animals as soon as possible to curb the problem.

Meanwhile Gwanda provincial magistrate Maphios Moyo has ordered police to investigate David Mbedzi Siziba, one of the suspected cattle rustlers who has terrorised Matshetsheni villagers.

Siziba was cited by villagers who burnt down homes as being part of a well-oiled cattle rustling syndicate that has stolen over two hundred cattle in the area.

Moyo said this while sentencing Moses Sibanda to 15 years in prison for stealing three cattle which he sold to Siziba without proper procedures being followed.

“How can an old man like Siziba buy three cattle and transport them for over 70km without a police clearance form or animal movement permit like he is buying newspapers from a vendor,” quipped the magistrate.

He added: “The police should arrest him and charge him with the same offence, a thorough search at Siziba’s farm can also lead to the recovery of some stolen cattle.”