GOAT meat is in demand in the North West capital of Mahikeng.
Local butcheries do not sell the meat, though, so thugs looking for a fast buck are now raiding kraals to steal and sell the animals.
It is believed their market is the growing population of foreign nationals who live in the town and love the delicacy.
They sell their stolen loot from as little as R400.
Local stock farmers are now threatening to take the law into their own hands.
Two weeks ago, suspected goat thief Rapulane Sefitlholo was killed by a mob in Morwatshetlha village.
This was after two goats belonging to 77-year-old Tshenolo Lesomo in Morwatshetlha were found tied up in a nearby bush.
A shepherd spotted a man tying them up and then alerted villagers who ran to the scene and beat up Sefi-tlholo. He later died in hospital.
He allegedly confessed to having stolen the goats.
PoliceSergeantKelebogile Moleko said two suspects aged 29 and 31 were arrested for murder and are expected to appear before the Mmabatho Magistrate's Court.
Lesomo said losing her goats was bad because their milk has medicinal ingredients which heal flu and fever.
Local sangomas also buy the goat heels and skin to use in their rituals.
Farmer Otladisa Kgakane said h e had lost 20 goats and eight sheep this year .
"They took most of my goats, now I am left with the kids," he said.
Kgakane said it was difficult to raise the kids because he needs to feed them milk as their mothers were stolen. "Two kilograms of milk is costing me R120, that is money I was not planning to spend," he said.
Most of the goat farmers and owners said they did not know who to turn to as the police were dragging their feet to arrest people stealing their livestock.
Local headman Oakantse Mothusi said they would be forced to beat up thieves if police fail to respond in time.
Sefitlholo's father, Tefo, said his son was a thief. "I know a man he was selling the sheep and goats to. I tried to warn him that what he was doing was wrong but he did not listen," he said.
He said even though his son was a thief he did not deserve to die the way he did.
tshehleb@sowetan.co.za
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
Goat meat big business - Angry villagers kill man for stealing two animals
GOAT meat is in demand in the North West capital of Mahikeng.
Local butcheries do not sell the meat, though, so thugs looking for a fast buck are now raiding kraals to steal and sell the animals.
It is believed their market is the growing population of foreign nationals who live in the town and love the delicacy.
They sell their stolen loot from as little as R400.
Local stock farmers are now threatening to take the law into their own hands.
Two weeks ago, suspected goat thief Rapulane Sefitlholo was killed by a mob in Morwatshetlha village.
This was after two goats belonging to 77-year-old Tshenolo Lesomo in Morwatshetlha were found tied up in a nearby bush.
A shepherd spotted a man tying them up and then alerted villagers who ran to the scene and beat up Sefi-tlholo. He later died in hospital.
He allegedly confessed to having stolen the goats.
PoliceSergeantKelebogile Moleko said two suspects aged 29 and 31 were arrested for murder and are expected to appear before the Mmabatho Magistrate's Court.
Lesomo said losing her goats was bad because their milk has medicinal ingredients which heal flu and fever.
Local sangomas also buy the goat heels and skin to use in their rituals.
Farmer Otladisa Kgakane said h e had lost 20 goats and eight sheep this year .
"They took most of my goats, now I am left with the kids," he said.
Kgakane said it was difficult to raise the kids because he needs to feed them milk as their mothers were stolen. "Two kilograms of milk is costing me R120, that is money I was not planning to spend," he said.
Most of the goat farmers and owners said they did not know who to turn to as the police were dragging their feet to arrest people stealing their livestock.
Local headman Oakantse Mothusi said they would be forced to beat up thieves if police fail to respond in time.
Sefitlholo's father, Tefo, said his son was a thief. "I know a man he was selling the sheep and goats to. I tried to warn him that what he was doing was wrong but he did not listen," he said.
He said even though his son was a thief he did not deserve to die the way he did.
tshehleb@sowetan.co.za
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
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