MEC MORWENG STATEMENT ON THE ARREST OF FIVE POLICE OFFICERS FOR STOCK THEFT AND POSSESSION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES

MAHIKENG – The MEC for the North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management welcomes the arrest of five police officers for stock theft and possession of endangered animals.

Three detectives stationed in Vryburg have appeared in court for allegedly stealing four sheep belonging to a local farmer.

Upon realising that four of his sheep are missing, the farmer checked the security cameras which then indicated the registration number of the vehicle in which apparently the stolen sheep were loaded.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the vehicle belongs to Vryburg Detectives. Further investigation led the police to a house in Dithakwaneng village outside Vryburg where a skinned carcass of a sheep was found.

The three officers were then arrested alongside a local man at whose house the carcass was found. After appearing in court the three officers were granted
R 1000. 00 bail and the civilian was also released on R 500. 00 bail. They will appear in court again next month.

On another unrelated matter, two officers stationed at Sun City Police Station were arrested in an undercover operation in Pretoria for possession of endangered specifies.

The two officers allegedly accompanied by two civilians were selling pangolins for R 160 000. 00. It was as they were concluding a deal with an alleged buyer when undercover officers pounced on them.

MEC Morweng says though arrest of police officers is regrettable this is nonetheless a further indication that no one is above the law.

“In order to clean the system and restore confidence of communities in law enforcement as a whole, we have to arrest those that contravene the law among our ranks. We welcome their arrest and applaud the police applying the law indiscriminately”, says MEC Morweng.

ENDS!!!

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SAFETY AND TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT