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Freeman Razemba Crime Reporter
Police have warned cattle rustlers that are terrorising villagers in Matabeleland South Province and hiding at a place they have declared a “no-go area” that the long arm of the law will soon catch up with them.

This comes after villagers expressed concern at the criminals who were living at a hideout in the area called Shanyaugwe near Gwanda South.

The criminals are reported to be in the habit of stealing and taking livestock to their area, which they have since declared as a “no go area”.

Any villager who attempts to follow his or her livestock to that area would be attacked.

Police’s anti-stock theft deputy national coordinator Assistant Commissioner Jimmy Khumalo said an operation would soon be conducted to get rid of these criminals.

“There was a first police operation that was recently conducted in that area resulting in some of the criminals being arrested.

“Information we have now is that some of the criminals are back again to that area and we have since liaised with the command in this province, who will conduct another crackdown soon,” he said.

He assured the villagers that the police would make tireless efforts to get rid of the criminals.

Meanwhile, Asst Comm Khumalo applauded people and farmers for heeding their calls by ensuring that all their livestock were branded.

He said they had since introduced the universal cattle branders to be used to brand cattle in the country.

He said this was helping most people and soon they would introduce more branders at district level to speed up the process.

In June, police called for an intensified cattle branding in response to an upsurge in stock theft between January and May 2016, compared to the same period last year.

Speaking at a Zimbabwe Republic Police and Business Anti-Stock Theft Forum annual general meeting, Senior Assistant Commissioner Bernard Dumbura, said the rate of stock theft had increased by 16 percent in 2016.

Statistics indicated that a total of 3 535 cattle were stolen between January and May 2015 whilst 4 103 cattle were stolen in the 2016 corresponding period.

The recovery rate had also slightly decreased with 1 248 cattle, representing 35 percent having been recovered in 2015 whilst a total of 1 398 — which translates to 34 percent — were recovered in 2016.

According to police, the upsurge in cattle theft had forced business and the police anti-stock theft unit to come up with 10 universal cattle branders, which would be used to brand cattle in the country.

The universal branders are being distributed to all the provinces in the country and this will ensure that stolen cattle are easily identified.

Police anti-stock theft national coordinator Senior Assistant Commissioner Erasmus Makodza recently said 95 percent of cattle that were stolen this year were not branded.