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Thandeka Matebesi

A police officer stationed at Jahe Base in Tsholotsho was recently arrested for allegedly stealing five head of cattle.

According to police sources, Grobbelar Maphosa (26), whose rank was not given, allegedly forged stock clearance forms and tried to transport the beasts to Mbokodo Abattoir in Bulawayo on Tuesday last week. 

 He allegedly secured permission from Sedgwick ARDA Estate manager Mr Cuthbert Manyanga to use a cattle ramp on the estate.

Maphosa allegedly hired a truck to ferry cattle to the abattoir from Fisani Ndlovu (26) of Nkulumane 5 suburb in Bulawayo.

Manyanga later saw Maphosa and his co-accused Surprise Ndlovu of Nqoya line in Tsholotsho driving the five stolen cattle into the ARDA Estate cattle pen and requested livestock clearance certificates and movement of animal permits which the duo failed to produce.

“Manyanga, with Ward 13 councillor Soka Ngwenya carried out investigations. They noticed that one of the cattle had a yellow tag with a cellphone number of Mr Austine Bhule of Efusini in Tsholotsho,” said a police source who cannot be named for professional reasons.

The source said Mr Bhule said the beast had been stolen from him. “Manyanga and the councillor loaded the cattle into the truck which Maphosa had hired and took them to Tsholotsho where a report was made leading to the arrest of the accused persons,” said the source.