Mass slaughter of smallstock shocks farmers

FARMERS in the Rehoboth District reacted with shock when news spread of the wholesale illegal slaughter of 66 goats and sheep valued at N$86 000.

The Namibian Police is hot in pursuit of three suspects who also stole N$20 000 worth of furniture at the farm Lindenhoff of Paul Majiedt and are now on the run. The farm is 45km from Rehoboth on the B1 road to Kalkrand. The suspects, one of them believed to be a former worker at the farm, overpowered and tied up the foreman, and then slaughtered 43 sheep and 23 goats in the kraal on Friday night.

The man believed to be the mastermind behind the shocking crime as well as the driver of the truck who organised the loading of the loot were arrested by midnight on Friday. Chief-Inspector Marschell Diergaardt, Station Commander of the Police in Rehoboth, said a case of robbery with aggravating circumstances was now opened against the two apprehended suspects and they will in all likelihood appear in the Magistrates Court in Rehoboth today.

According the Rehoboth Police Chief, the stock thieves turned up at the farm at midnight armed with knives and pangas and told the farmworker who was staying at the main house, that they were looking for solar panels and money. They then took N$2 300 and a cellular phone from him, struck him on the head with a panga, bit him on his right ear and kicked him and tied him up with a wire and rope as well as also banded his eyes and mouth. He said the robbers carried the victim approximately 100 meters from the house and dumped him in the grass.

He, however, managed to free himself and fled to another farmpost four kilometers away from where he contacted Paul Majiedt, the owner of the farm, who in turn contacted the Police. In the meantime, the foreman of Lindenhoff, a certain Claassen, who only stays at the farm on weekdays was also contacted and then came to pick up the workers and drove them to the main house. When the Police arrived they found that all the furniture had been removed from the house and was placed outside.

At the kraal, 43 sheep and 23 goats lay with their throats slit. Chief-Inspector Diergaardt said that while they were at the farm house, a truck passed on the B1 in the direction of Kalkrand and later came back and stopped at a rest place. They proceeded in the direction of Rehoboth so the police decided to give chase. The truck was stopped and the driver of the truck and a passenger were apprehended. Under interrogation the driver revealed he was hired for N$2 000 and for some meat in Windhoek to come and load some goods between Rehoboth and Kalkrand.

The person who was together with him, was the same person who had dropped the three stock thieves at the farm and then drove back to Windhoek and hired the truck. The suspects apparently admitted the others had disappeared in the field. “We are busy looking for them. We are hot on their heels”, Chief- Insp. Diergaardt said.

click to enlarge Owner of the farm Lindenhoff, Paul Majiedt, who lost goats and sheep valued at N$ 86 000 to stock thieves © Photo: CONTRIBUTED