NELSPUIT - A 29-year-old man was arrested for stock theft in Bethal today.

This came as the effort doubled by members of Bethal Stock Theft Unit to clamp down on stock thieves that are troubling farmers in the area.

Members conducted a disruptive operation between Bethal and Kriel (R545) when they stopped a white Toyota Hilux bakkie pulling a trailer loaded with cattle (six cows).

The suspicious man alleged that he is the owner of the livestock, but his statement could not add up when asked to give a description of the brand marks.

Police's preliminary investigation on the system picked the rightful owner of the cattle who managed to positively describe the brand marks and further identified the stock as his.

The cattle were handed back to the owner as he had already reported and registered a stock theft case with Leslie SAPS on Friday, 12 August this year.

The suspect, Sinethemba Ntsibande was arrested and charged for being in possession of suspected stolen property (livestock), and appeared today, 15 August 2022 at the Leslie Magistrate's Court facing the said charges. He was released on R1 500 bail and the case was postponed to 05 October 2022 pending further investigation.

The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has been overwhelmed by the efforts made thus far in tackling stock theft. "We hope that the arrest will somehow encourage the public to keep on trusting police with information which will assist in their endeavour to win the battle against stock theft" said the General.

Source: South African Police Service