An Evaluation of Legislative Frameworks and Structures for Policing Stock Theft in South Africa
Abstract
South Africa has been plagued by rising incidences of stock theft for decades. However, it is now evolving and perpetrated by organised syndicates rather than only petty thieves, the continuous demands for livestock aid to the manifestation of this crime. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate current legislative frameworks and available structures for policing stock theft in South African rural communities. This qualitative study adopted the non-empirical research design: Systematic review, supported by the evaluative research objective, while closely looking at recent South African reputable reports on this subject, restricted from 2000-2021 (Not in sequence) for data collections. The inductive Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) was employed for data analysis. The persistent nature of this problem poses serious threats to food security and livelihood development for the rural livestock farmers, as well as the commercial ones. It was clear that the legislative frameworks and structures for policing stock theft in South African rural communities are of the utmost importance to curb this crime. However, from a number of reported stock theft cases, the effectiveness of legislations and standing structures is highly questioned. Therefore, successful sustainable stock theft prevention strategies should consists of close and concerted partnership-based collaborations, interactions and information exchanges, based on enhancing legislative frameworks. This can offer additions, amendments, corrections, incorporating and re-drafting of ‘new sections’ of the existing Acts to improve their deterrent efforts.
References
Braun, V and Clarke, V. (2014). What can “Thematic Analysis” offer health and wellbeing researchers? International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 9(1): 1-2.
Bunei, E and Kariaga, P. (2016). Farm theft in Kenya: Farmers’ experiences and responses. African Journal of Education and Social Science, 1(1):59-75.
Campbell Collaboration. (2018). An author’s guide to writing articles and reviews for Educational Research review. Retrieved from: https://www.huidziekten.nl/diversen/ ..
Clarke, V and Braun, V. (2014). Thematic analysis. In: Encyclopedia of critical psychology. Teo, T (Editor). Springer: New York.
Maluleke, W. (2020). The African scare of fall armyworm: Are South African farmers’ immune? The International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies, 12(1), 207-221.
Creswell, J.W. (2014). Research design. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.
Clack, W. (2018). Rural crimes: non-reporting of livestock theft by farmers. Acta Criminologica: African Journal of Criminology and Victimology, 31(4), pp.1-7.
Clack, W and Minnaar, A. (2018). Rural crime in South Africa: an exploratory review of ‘farm attacks’ and stock theft as the primary crimes in rural areas. Acta Criminologica: African Journal of Criminology and Victimology, 31(1), pp.103-135.
Dambe, B.J and Fombad, C.M. (2020). The stock theft act and customary courts in Botswana: justice sacrificed on the altar of expediency. The Journal of Legal Pluralism and Unofficial Law, 52(1):65-81.
Department of Community Safety and Liaison. (2008). Stock theft in Kwazulu-Natal. KwaZulu-Natal Department of Community Safety and Liaison: Pietermaritzburg.
Doorewaard, C. (2016). Policing rural (Agricultural) areas: Livestock theft as a point of departure. Pretoria: SARP Publisher.
Doorewaard, C. (2020). Livestock theft: a criminological assessment and sample specific profile of the perpetrators. MA dissertation, University of South Africa, Pretoria.
Dzimba, J and Matooane, M. (2005). Stock theft and human security: Case study of Lesotho. Institute for Security Studies Monographs, (113):85.
Geldenhuys, K. (2009). Forensics-physical matching and brand-mark examination on livestock. Pretoria: SARP Publisher.
George Herald [Online]. (2018). Forum reacts to national crime statistics. Retrieved from: https://www.georgeherald.com/News/Article/Agriculture/forum-reacts-to-national.
Kynoch, G and Ulicki, T. (2000). “It Is Like the Time of Lifaqane:” The Impact of Stock Theft and Violence in Southern Lesotho. Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 18(2): pp.179-206.
Lombard, W.A. (2015). The financial impact of sheep theft in the Free State Province of South Africa. Unpunished Magister Scientiae Agriculturae. University of the Free State: Bloemfontein.
Lombard, W.A., Van den Heever, M and Jammer, B. (2018). The role of livestock identification in farming. Plaas Media: Centurion.
Makanda, L.L. (2015). Challenges faced by police officers in policing stock theft [A Case study of Zimbabwe Republic Police Mutawatawa, Mashonaland East Province] period 2012-2014. Unpublished Bachelor of Business Administration [Honours] degree: Police and Security Studies. Bindura University of Science Education: Zimbabwe.
Maluleke, W. (2016). The use of Deoxyribonucleic Acid in combating stock theft in South Africa. Unpublished Doctor Technologiae: Policing Thesis. Tshwane University of Technology: Soshanguve South.
Maluleke, W. (2014). Perspectives on stock theft prevention in the Giyani policing area of Limpopo Province. Unpublished Magister Technologiae: Policing Dissertation. Tshwane University of Technology: Soshanguve South.
Maluleke, W and Mofokeng, J.T. (2018). Challenges facing the implementation of Deoxyribonucleic Acid technology in combating stock theft in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. The International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies, 10(1), 311-345.
Maluleke, W., Tshabalala, N.P and Tolla, A.D. (2021). Perspectives on Stock Theft Prevention in the Selected Provinces of South Africa: Failures and Successes. International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 10, 1029-1038.
Maluleke, W., Mokwena, R.J and Motsepa, L.L. (2016). Rural farmers’ perspectives on stock theft: Police crime statistics. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension, 44(2), 256-274.
Manganyi, F.M., Maluleke, W and Shandu, S.N. (2018). An examination of co-operative strategies towards policing stock theft in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. Acta Criminologica: African Journal of Criminology and Victimology, 31(4):97-122.
Matthews, B and Ross, L. (2010). Research methods: A practical guide for the social sciences. Essex: Pearson.
Mokwena, R.J and Maluleke, W. (2020). South African rural communities and the land restitution process: The application of criminological and legal theories in identifying obstacles to rightful allocations of land. Gender and Behaviour Journal, 18(3): 16145-16156.
Montesh, M and Basdeo, V. (2012). The role of the South African national defence force in policing. Scientia Militaria: South African Journal of Military Studies, 40(1):71-94.
National Stock Theft Prevention Forum. (2016). Manual for the prevention of stock theft: The farmer’s guide to the prevention and handling of stock theft. Pretoria: Agri Connect.
National Stock Theft Prevention Forum. (2021). Livestock theft-the picture in December 2020. 2 March 2021. National Animal Health Forum. Retrieved from: https://nahf.co.za/wp.
O’Reilly, M and Kiyimba, N. (2015). Advanced qualitative research: A guide to using theory. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.
Phillips, L. (2019). Bringing more South African game meat to dinner tables. Farmers weekly. 30 November. Retrieved from: https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/animals/game ...
Ramalekana, T.I. (2016). Retrospective analysis of the outcomes of the animal crime scene investigation in Thabazimbi 2013-2015. MA dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria.
Sommerville, M., Khumalo, L., Kamuti, T and Brooks, S. (2021). Game On! Understanding the emerging game meat value chain in South Africa. Retrieved from: https://www.issuelab.org/resources/38715/38715.pdf.
South Africa. (2002). Animal Identification Act (No. 6 of 2002) / Age of animals at the time of marking (Regulation No. 11). Government Gazette No. 769, 03 June 2002. Cape Town: Government Printers.
South Africa. (2000). Meat Safety Act (No. 40 of 2000). Government Gazette, 21707, 01 November 2000. Cape Town: Government Printers.
South Africa. (2011). Stock Theft Act (No. 57 of 1959). Juta Law, 46 (34535), September 30:12.
Tom, S. (2021). Here’s the top 10 list of livestock theft hotspots in SA. June 10, Food for Mzansi. Retrieved from: https://www.foodformzansi.co.za/top-10-list-of-livestock-theft-hotspots-in-south-africa/.
Wilk, J., Andersson, L and Warburton, M. (2013). Adaptation to climate change and other stressors among commercial and small-scale South African farmers. Regional Environmental Change, 13:273-286.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright for this article is retained by the author(s), with first publication rights granted to the journal. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
