Cape Town - Three men who were arrested while they were driving a vehicle with suspected stolen livestock to an auction in Mokopane, have been sentenced to 10 years in jail.
The Mankweng Regional Court on Monday found Ishmael Manamela, 40, Abel Maboa, 58, and David Semono, 63, guilty of livestock theft and possession of stolen cattle following a lengthy trial.
Each convict has been sentenced to 10 years.
“The court heard that the trio had stolen 10 cattle at Mmakata village in Ga Molepo while at a grazing field on Monday, February 11, 2019,” police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said.
Ledwaba said the evidence presented before the court was that the three men were cornered by the police along Roodepoort Road in the Westenburg policing area on February 12, 2019, on the way to an auction in Mokopane. They were transporting the stolen cattle in a van with a trailer.
“The accused fled the scene on foot and left behind the exhibit.
“Through intensive investigations, it was found that the cattle were stolen from the Mankweng policing area and a case of theft of livestock was already opened and the lawful owner was located and the cattle were positively identified through a unique brand mark,” Ledwaba said.
Ledwaba said that the accused were arrested on three different occasions – first in July 2019, the second time in February 2020, and the third in January 2021 – through intelligence-driven operations conducted, and the three accused were later granted R2000 bail each.
“Both cases of theft of livestock and possession of suspected stolen livestock were successfully investigated by Detective Sergeant Botha Motsai of Polokwane stock theft unit,” Ledwaba added.
Meanwhile, the provincial commissioner of the police in Limpopo, Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, has applauded the members for the sterling work done and selfless attitude in putting the efforts into the lengthy investigations that yielded a successful trial with conviction and sentencing.
IOL