Omaheke farmers hit by surge in brutal livestock theft

Commercial and communal farmers in Namibia’s Omaheke region, particularly around Witvlei, are suffering heavy losses at the hands of poachers, with increasing brutality in the slaughter of cattle, as well as horses and donkeys.

Chairperson of the Eastern Crime Prevention Forum (NCPF) of the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), Jan Pienaar, said eight cattle were slaughtered on one farm between October 2025 and May 2026. Some of the eight cows were pregnant, and one had a calf.

“One of the pregnant cows had to be put down to end her suffering because her leg was broken,” the farmer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

Farmers’ names and farm names are being withheld to protect them from being targeted.

He added that another cow was found tied up in the veld.

“There was strong evidence of a possible suspect vehicle, but the police have still not made any attempt to follow it up,” he claimed.

On 21 May, the Achilles tendons of two cows’ hind legs were allegedly cut by cattle poachers on the farm.

“The two cows were caught with ropes and then driven on their stumps some distance to the road before being slaughtered.”

He said the carcasses and meat of the cows slaughtered on 21 May were left in the veld and rotted due to storms.

In the most recent incident, the stallion of a well-known horse breeder was caught and slaughtered.

“They are now even slaughtering horses,” the young farmer said.

Pienaar added that six donkeys were slaughtered on one communal farm, with only the meat from two carcasses taken by the poachers.

In addition to livestock losses, seven solar water pumps were stolen from a farm south of Witvlei between December last year and April this year.

Diverse crimes

Pienaar stressed that it is not only commercial farmers in the Omaheke region who are affected but also communal farmers and that farmers are also being targeted by wildlife poachers and cybercriminals.

He said cybercrime is increasing sharply, with hackers posing as police officers and threatening farmers with arrest if they do not pay money.

Pienaar said cooperation between farmers, NCPF structures, anti-poaching units and the Namibian police is generally good in tackling livestock and wildlife theft.

However, another farmer said: “In Witvlei’s case there is little to no cooperation, and the police have to be transported at taxpayers’ expense because they never have a vehicle.”

It is alleged that after a housebreaking and theft of firearms south of Witvlei, police only arrived at the farm almost 48 hours after the incident was reported, using a vehicle provided by the NCPF.

Members of the public reportedly carried out their own investigations and pointed police to the suspects’ names and residence in Okahandja.

“Nothing has come of it,” the farmer said.

Courts provide no help

And, while some praise police cooperation in most cases, a sluggish justice system also poses a challenge.

“The justice system is letting us down,” the farmer said.

Some complaints include cases that have been dragging on for four to five years, while accused persons allegedly escape from police custody.

“It is a waste of time to go to court, and cases are simply postponed again.”

Some farmers say this is why Omaheke has a low theft record.

“We no longer report cases because nothing happens,” one farmer said.

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