Police in Bulawayo have arrested a 43-year-old man from Nkulumane suburb after he was caught red-handed with five slaughtered stolen cattle.
Bhekilizwe Nyathi, who was accompanied by an accomplice, was apprehended by a member of the neighbourhood watch committee who spotted the two in their parked vehicle, which contained the cattle carcasses, on Monday.
Bulawayo police spokesperson, Inspector Abednico Ncube, confirmed the incident.
Inspector Ncube said the neighbourhood watch member approached the duo and inquired about their destination for the slaughtered animals. Nyathi was evasive, and after a failed attempt to bribe the watchman, he struck him in the mouth with an axe handle, causing injuries.
“Nyathi then jumped into the vehicle and drove off, but the neighbourhood watch member managed to jump into the back of the van, from where he called for police assistance. Nyathi and his accomplice drove for a while until their vehicle ran out of fuel. They abandoned the car and tried to flee, but the police and members of the public outpaced them,” said Inspector Ncube.
“Officers from Nkulumane police station attended the scene and noticed that the cattle had the Hope Fountain brand. The matter was then transferred to Hillside police station for further investigation.
“As the police, we applaud the bravery shown by the neighbourhood watch member. Here in Bulawayo and surrounding areas, we are very strict on such offences. We have declared that Bulawayo will not be a market for stolen cattle. We are very grateful to the vigilant neighbourhood watch member who risked his life to ensure the arrest of the accused.”
The stolen cattle belonged to Zenzo Luphahla (61) of Hope Fountain.
Addressing members of the press, Luphahla recounted that his cattle were stolen on Sunday after his herdboy left them grazing.
Luphahla noted that stock theft is prevalent in their area, and over the years, he has lost almost 40 head of cattle. However, he acknowledged that the police have been working hard recently to crack down on cattle rustlers.
“I warned my herdboy that it was dangerous to leave the cattle unattended in the pastures because of the high incidence of thefts we have been recording. As fate would have it, later that day when he brought them back home, some were missing,” he said.
“I later saw in a WhatsApp group that some cattle had been recovered in Bulawayo, but I never thought they could be mine. A friend of mine later called and told me that they were my cattle after recognising the brand mark.
“It is quite heartbreaking to lose five cattle at the same time, especially to thieves. But I am glad to have discovered what happened to them, rather than hoping they would return home at some point. I am also grateful to the man who initiated the citizen’s arrest of the accused. We need more such brave men, and we hope to continue working well with the police to bring stock theft to an end.”
