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IT is always commendable for communities to come together for initiatives to combat crime as this helps fight it at the grassroots level.

The police are on record calling on communities to work with law enforcement agents to eradicate crime and we commend villagers from Nkayi district in Matabeleland North who came together and formed an anti-stock theft group called Anti-Stock Theft Azibuye Emasisweni. 

Cases of stock theft are rampant across the country and rustlers hit farmers including those in communities along borders, working with cross-border syndicates to steal livestock.

On average, between 5 000 and 10 000 cases of stock theft are reported each year in the country, according to the Zimbabwe Republic Police Anti-Stock Theft Unit.

Police and local authorities have over the years implemented some strategies including anti-stock theft operations and awareness campaigns, to reduce criminal activities driven largely by demand for meat at butcheries across the country.

Some villagers had lost as much as 20 head of cattle to thieves before the formation of the group and some suspects have been arrested and prosecuted as a result while farmers recovered their cattle.

We reported yesterday that since the formation of the group by four villagers in April last year, cases of stock theft in the area have significantly gone down.

The initiative has since spread to other districts in Matabeleland North and Midlands provinces. 

The Anti-Stock Theft-Azibuye Emasisweni initiative, thus, buttresses Government efforts to grow the livestock sector and raising awareness among community members is vital.

Association chairperson, Mr Country Moyo from Sivomo under Chief Madliwa said anti-stock theft teams had been established almost in each village in Sivomo where it started, Mbazhe, Mtshabi, Nesigwe, Mateme, Sembewule, Gababe, Tohwe, Zinyangeni, Guwe and Lupane as well as Malisa, Zhombe, Nyaje and Gokwe in the Midlands.

“We formed this association on 11 April last year because we were concerned about the prevalence of stock theft cases and how people were losing their cattle,” he said. 

“I initiated the idea seeing the value of livestock in our culture and I approached three villagers and we agreed to seek authority from our village heads, who gave us the green light,” said Mr Moyo.

Other pioneers are Mr Thomas Ncube from Mbazhe, Mr Khulumani Sibanda and Mr Sicelo Ngwenya from Sivomo.

Mr Moyo said traditional leaders quickly embraced the idea hence the initiative was able to spread faster to other areas. 

He said the association mobilises villagers so that whenever they spot any suspicious movement of livestock they quickly alert the group members, who then send force teams and at the same time report to the police.