A community anti-theft group in Gwanda South says armed rustlers are terrorising farmers, with over 200 donkeys recovered from thieves in the past five years.
The Gwanda South Anti-Stock Theft Association (GASTA Diaspora) says its members are now being targeted for fighting back against the rustlers in the area.
“These thieves are killing people, they now attack villagers while armed with guns,” says Victor Sibanda, chairman of GASTA Diaspora. “From 2019 to 2024, we have recovered over 200 donkeys which these thieves stole.”
Some of the recovered livestock belonged to owners in neighbouring Botswana. “The owners came with the police and recovered their 21 donkeys at Manama primary school in ward 17”.
But the group claims its efforts to stop the thefts have led to reprisals. “What hurts us the most as villagers is that we apprehend these thieves and at the end, we get arrested. I have been detained, taken from my homestead, and released at night alone in the middle of the bush,” says Sibanda.
Chief Mathema, a local traditional leader, confirmed the rise in stock theft cases in the area.
“Police arrest the thieves, and they go to court, and when they are released on bail they don’t come out and tell the truth, instead, they start bragging that they are untouchable.”
However, police say they haven’t received recent reports of livestock theft.
“For previous cases that were reported to the police, we have it on record and we thoroughly investigated,” says Assistant Inspector Stanford Mguni, Matabeleland South acting police spokesperson.
“The accused persons have a right to bail pending trial, so at times people fail to understand that they attend court while coming from their homes.”
Mguni said they have been holding meetings with communities to explain their rights under the client service charter.
“Residents should first approach the officer in charge if they have concerns about police conduct. If they don’t get assistance, they can escalate to the District Commanding Officer, and if still not satisfied, they can approach the Provincial Commander,” said Assistant Inspector Mguni.
“We have stock theft committees in that area, and we find it difficult to understand claims about such high numbers of stock theft cases. We encourage residents to report all incidents to the police,” he added.
