Stud sheep for supper
2009-05-07
Lise Beyers
FARMERS in the Klapmuts and Agter-Paarl areas are still falling prey to sheep rustlers. But slowly but surely, these thieves are coming face to face with the strong arm of the law. Recently a man from Klapmuts was asked by a group of men to assist them in fetching some belongings at Groenfontein egg-farm. The good samaritan agreed and five men climbed onto his bakkie. Along a dirt road the driver was asked to stop, while they pretended to fetch the belongings. However, when the driver looked n his rear-view mirror , he saw a sheep being loaded onto his bakkie. He immediately sped off, leaving the men behind, and headed for the Klapmuts police station, with the sheep still on the back of his vehicle. The police rushed to the scene of the crime, and on arrival they discovered another five sheep which had been tied up. Three men from Klapmuts were quickly arrested in connection with the theft. These men have now been linked to more incidents of stock theft, including at Fairview cheese and wine farm. Here irreplaceable French East Friesian sheep have been stolen through the years - with eight being stolen recently over four nights. This latest theft has almost brought Fairview’s breeding programme of Friesian sheep to a halt. The sheep were originally brought into the country by Cyril Back for the production of an exclusive cheese. Their milk is highly sought after and they are not kept for meat production. Donald Mouton, livestock manager of Fairview, said that the loss of the sheep cannot be calculated in rands and cents. “These thefts have left us without our prime breeding stock. Unlike our goats and other sheep, the Friesians are friendly and are thus easy to catch. “It is evident that these thefts are well planned and we suspect that an entire syndicate is involved. “I also do not believe that these sheep are stolen due to hunger, but that it is a lucrative business for the perpetrators.” The sheep on Fairview were captured and stolen at night and led to a waiting vehicle on the nearby N1. They were then presumably transported to Bloekombos near Kraaifontein. One of the suspects who was arrested in Klapmuts, allegedly admitted to this and told investigators that the sheep were sold for R350 per head. Mouton added that they have now put stringent measures in place to combat such crimes in future. In especially areas such as Bloekombos, the business of trading in and slaughtering of livestock is rampant. There is no legislation in place that curbs these sidewalk markets. This ruthless practice is forcing stock farmers in the area to diversify to other kinds of farming, because the losses incurred are just too high.
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