Exploring the impact of stock theft in Dr. Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Municipality

Abstract

In terms of human sustenance, agriculture is the cornerstone of South Africa as it provides food to all citizens. The rearing of livestock is an important economic activity. Our dependence on livestock for daily consumption cannot be overemphasized. In 2020, the total income, generated from the sale of livestock, amounts to about 5.16 billion USD. While cattle sales alone amounted to about 3.12 billion USD, live chickens and sheep sales were in the region of about 1.01 billion USD. Due to high yielding revenue for the country, the government cannot afford to complacent with fighting criminal activities, directed towards jeopardizing the economy, which is still reeling from the impact of the Covid 19 epidermic. The increase in stock theft cases in some of the provinces in the country, in particular Mpumalanga Province, is a cause for concern. This needs urgent intervention from all the stakeholders, involved in the fight against crime. This article examines the Factors contributing to an increasingly high rate of stock theft in Dr. Pixley ka Isaka Seme Municipality, Mpumalanga Province. The study employed a qualitative research approach that used semi-structured in-depth interviews to collect data. The sample consisted of 22 participants, selected through purposive sampling, who included farmers, herdsmen, Community Police Forum members, and community leaders. The study found that there are several factors contributing to a high rate of stock theft, among others are poverty, unemployment, and poor relationship between the South African Police Service, which as a result render community members reluctant to be involved in the fight against stock theft. It was also found, that there are no regular weekly or monthly meetings taking place. There are no awareness campaigns between the police and community members to discuss the stock theft trends in Dr. Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Municipality