Following the shocking footage of 12 cattle that were gruesomely mutilated and slaughtered early on Wednesday morning, TLU SA is making an urgent appeal to farmers in the Goldfields area to work together and strengthen security structures.
This crime, which took place on the farm of Edrich Wille between Ventersburg and Virginia, follows similar attacks on other farms in the area on 24 and 30 August, allegedly by the same cattle thieves.
TLU SA Free State strongly condemns this barbaric act and will closely monitor the developments. “We are determined to work with other agricultural organisations to curb this horrific crime and will do everything in our power to hold the perpetrators accountable,” says Bertus van der Westhuizen, regional chairperson of TLU SA Free State.
“It is disturbing that such cruel criminals are still roaming free, and the public has reason to be concerned about their safety. We call on the authorities to act decisively and ensure these criminals are swiftly put behind bars. The laws violated here, including trespassing, animal cruelty, cattle theft, and trading in stolen goods, must be strictly enforced, and the culprits must receive harsh sentences,” says Van der Westhuizen.
The scale of cattle theft and these barbaric attacks has a significant impact on agriculture and the broader economy. In June alone, more than R9 million worth of livestock was stolen. These mutilated cattle were valuable breeding stock, and the farmer has not only lost his livestock but also his future production.
“We extend our sympathies to the farmer and will continue to take all possible steps to ensure that the offenders are not only held accountable but remain locked up for as long as possible,” Van der Westhuizen concludes.
