By Wezi Tjaronda EPUKIRO Four constituencies in the Omaheke Region have teamed up to jointly fight theft, which the police say is the most common criminal activity in that area. Each of the four constituencies – Epukiro, Otjinene, Otjombinde and Steinhausen – will form a Constituency Stock Theft Committee, whose representatives will sit on the Stock Theft Coordinating Committee of the four constituencies. The councillors of the four constituencies, the police, representatives of traditional authorities and farmers’ associations and a representative of Anchor Trading, met in Epukiro Post 3 on Friday to come up with a way forward regarding cattle theft, sale of Fanmeat ear tags, loading of livestock along the road and the unregulated buying of cattle and donkeys by some commercial farmers in the area. The meeting, called by Epukiro Regional Councillor Brave Tjizera, decided to form a coordinating committee to monitor all stock theft-related issues and liaise with the police regarding the need for roadblocks to stem the theft of livestock – the mainstay of most inhabitants of the region. The coordinating committee will comprise three representatives of each constituency stock theft committee, the councillors and the police. It was formed with the conviction that they would move in quickly once cases are reported and also to ensure their presence at auctions. At such a meeting, the owners of Anchor Trading (where many farmers sell their cattle) and Harnas Guest Farm (where donkeys and horses are bought to feed lions) will be summoned to decide on a day or two when people will be allowed to sell their animals, which will enable the committee to verify ownership of stock being sold. There have been complaints about people stealing cattle and donkeys, thus making it difficult to verify ownership. It was also agreed that each constituency should identify six venues where auctions should be held. The meeting was a follow-up to one held by Otjinene and Epukiro constituencies. But, realizing that cattle are stolen from one constituency and sold to another, the two constituencies that had formed a stock theft committee decided to extend this cooperation to the other constituencies which are equally affected. “We need coordination among the four constituencies and to come up with a way forward to stop stock theft,” said Tjizera. Epukiro Station Commander, Sergeant Bertha Kahuure, said her station faced transport problems, which was out of the station’s control. We have raised these issues, but we do not get answers,” she said, adding that this has led the police to attend to cases on the basis of their seriousness. Kahuure put part of the blame on parents who condone cattle thefts in the areas, especially when their relatives or children do it. Commander of the Stock Theft Unit, Detective Warrant Officer Hermanus van Wyk, said many farmers sell their animals without IDs and the description of what is being sold for reference, in case such animals will one day need to be traced. Van Wyk said that while the requirements of a cattle auction were difficult to flout, cattle sales that are arranged when schools open and close were the most problematic because people had no IDs and instead brought witnesses to identify them as the real owners of the cattle, which left room for theft. Michael Matengu, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Omaheke Region, urged the communities to establish Police Public Relations Committees and Youth Against Crime organizations to make it easier for the public to solve crimes. Otjombinde Councillor Mati Ndjoze urged the community to cooperate with the police to fight crime in the region. “We should all become police to counter theft effectively. We must not have mercy on thieves and we must not hide their activities,” he said. Among other concerns that he raised, Ndjoze said bail given to suspected criminals encouraged them to recommit crime. He also wondered whether the Stock Theft Act was effective.