Swazi Observer

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BRING STOCK THEFT TO A HALT

By Crime Watch | 2024-11-02

The National Commissioner of Police Vusi Manoma Masango has charged the station Commanders under the Manzini region with the responsibility of ensuring that cattle belonging to Emaswati are not smuggled into South Africa.

This was during a fundraising dinner organised by Mankayane Police Station held at the area last Friday.
The dinner which received massive sponsorship from Montingy, the business community and other stakeholders, was a fund raising initiative aimed at facilitating the procurement of essential working resources and other programmes for boosting the effectiveness of community police in the Mankayane dominion. Over E100 000 was collected during the dinner, including pledges from individuals, other police stations and churches.

Speaking during the event, the national commissioner said joint operations involving the police, community police and Montigny rangers should be conducted regularly to create a security buffer along the borderlines.
He also called for the formation of patrolling teams in collaboration with community police and other stakeholders to ensure that livestock is safeguarded.

“Station commanders, regional commissioners and community police make sure that cattle are not smuggled through the boundary line into neighbouring countries. Let us protect what we have and make sure that our livestock is not vulnerable,” he said.

Masango revealed that the police executive has engaged neighbouring South Africa and Mozambique to discuss pertinent issues, identify areas of cooperation and formulate effective strategies in combating cross border crimes such as stock theft. He commended the existing relationship between Mankayane police station and the business community, which binds them in common purpose against crime.

He applauded Mankayane for hosting such a dinner and encouraged other regions to emulate them. He further said if crime was allowed to go unabated it could affect employment opportunities because businesses might be forced to close, while investors may shy away.

The police chief revealed that traditional leaders and the business community were vital stakeholders in the fight against crime in the country. He urged all those present to develop a strong hatred towards crime, stating that the police service cannot yield a successful fight against crime all on its own.

He said more stakeholders in the crime fighting value chain, mean safer communities. He appreciated the mayor’s request to have rangers capacitated so that they can effectively improve the safety and security of Mankayane town.

Masango said parents have a big role to play in nurturing their children by being closely involved in their everyday life so that they can identify any changes in behaviour. He further stated that the schools’ anti-crime clubs concept could be crucial in the fight against crime as it had been noted that the issue of gangsterism was now hounding these intermediate learning institutions, encouraged schools around the Mankayane jurisdiction to lead by example and form such youth clubs to help shield children from crime.

On another note, the national commissioner revealed that a number of illegal firearms are still in the wrong hands, yet September which was the firearm amnesty month has elapsed. He stated that police would now engage in robust and uncompromising operations to ensure that such firearms were recovered.

“Police cannot allow businesses to be affected and Emaswati to lose their lives as a result of arrogant individuals who have failed to make use of the police amnesty by surrendering illegal firearms,” he said.

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