NW high-ranking government official implicated in stock theft ring

20 February 2021

Note to editors: Find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by DA North West Constituency Head, Tswaing, Carín Visser.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in North West notes the arrest of Barberspan farmer, Gift Ramadie and his employee, Goitsemodimo Modukanele for the stolen cattle recovered from his farm yesterday.

The arrest followed after farmers from the area hired a private chopper to locate 7 stud cattle that were reported as stolen under case numbers 4/02/2021 and 49/02/2021 respectively. The cattle were found on one of the properties of Mr Ramadie, who is also Chief Director at the North West Department of Education.

150 Stolen cattle were found, of which several that were reported stolen last year, were handed back to their owners. The remaining cattle in the camp were confiscated and transported to the Lichtenburg Large Animal Pound, pending further investigation.

The sequence of events clearly indicates the incompetence and lack of political will on the part of the SAPS to investigate and resolve stock theft. The apparent apathy compels farmers to make use of their own resources to do the work that the SAPS are constitutionally mandated with.

The DA demands that an in-depth investigation by the Hawks and SAPS Stock Theft Unit are urgently launched into the cattle kept on other farms owned by the accused to ensure that justice prevails.

The startling rate at which rural crimes such as farm attacks, murders and stock theft continue, again proves that the implementation of a Rural Safety Strategy, as promised by Minister Cele, remains a pie in the sky and that the ANC Government cannot be trusted to safeguard rural communities.

Issued by Carìn Visser, DA North West Constituency Head, Tswaing, 20 February 2021