Local farmers feel powerless against persistent criminals who continue to profit from their hard-earned valuables. Upper Gletwyn Farm dairy farmer, Peter Wylie, says the loss of his condenser could be the last straw for him.
Local farmers feel powerless against persistent criminals who continue to profit from their hard-earned valuables. Upper Gletwyn Farm dairy farmer, Peter Wylie, says the loss of his condenser could be the last straw for him.
The well-known farmer says he is on the verge of quitting farming. "I'm considering going back to being a motor-mechanic," he said.
The condenser was stolen last Sunday evening. "They have put us out of action; we can't even clean our milk. This is destroying our will to carry on," said Wylie.
Wylie has reported numerous incidents of stock theft to the police. While this doesn't seem to deter thieves, the criminals have left the cattle alone for some time.
In 2012, a heifer on his farm was saved from stock thieves who used an axe to hack its neck. The thieves had already reached the spinal column of the animal when they were interrupted. Wylie said the young cow was between 10 and 12 months’ old when it was attacked. He had to spend R1 470.30 on a veterinary bill for an animal that, he says, is worth about R2 000.
Wylie suspects donkey cart owners, who collect wood near the farm, of being involved in the rampant theft in the area. He has, however, made attempts to work with them in an attempt to get the root of the problem. "They carry huge things on these donkey carts. You would never believe some of the things they put on there," he said.
Wylie said his neighbour, Adrian Moss, was also affected by crime in the area.
Wylie says it's disheartening that farming in the Grahamstown area has become increasingly difficult due to crime.
In a letter written to Grocott's Mail in 2012 by Wylie, he said Chairman of Makana Farmers’ Association (MFA), Mike Mamkeli, went to his farm to drop off an invitation to attend their meeting at the Tantyi Hall. "Senior police officials and my neighbour, Mario Hockley, attended and it was clear that they suffer from the same problems as we do regarding stock theft, with increasingly even more brutal attacks committed on their livestock."
According to Wylie, the MFA agreed with him that one of the main reasons for crime in the area is the lack of control of donkey carts on the main road, as these carts are often used to transport stolen property.
Wylie said police were looking into the recent incident. He also praised Hi-Tec for the work that they do. "Without Hi-Tec ,we would be powerless."
Grahamstown police spokesperson, Captain Mali Govender, said Wylie had reported a number of cases to police and they were investigating the cases.
"At one point we recovered some of his items at a second-hand shop," Govender said.
