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The Citizen
4 days ago
- The Citizen
Drone operators catch maize thieves near Delmas
Security drone operators doing routine aerial patrols had no idea they were about to stumble upon what can only be described as a massive maize theft syndicate near Delmas. Farmcor AS Security drone operators spotted two people carrying 50kg woven polypropylene bags on their heads as they exited a client's maize fields near Hawerklip, close to Delmas Colliery on the R50, Leslie Road, at around 09:00 on July 12. The pair was seen leaving private farmland and heading toward a nearby informal settlement. The drone operators continued monitoring them as they entered a shack in the settlement, where they offloaded the bags. Farmcor AS Security was immediately informed, and reaction units swiftly responded to the scene. Upon arrival, members of AfriForum's Delmas Valke Neighbourhood Watch, CamFX Security and other role players joined the operation. Initial investigations revealed the shacks were used to store yellow maize allegedly stolen from adjacent fields. When reaction members requested access to other dwellings, they were told those were unoccupied. A source close to the investigation said security personnel were informed of more storage facilities nearby. The teams were then led to several zinc shelters, where they confirmed that stolen maize was stockpiled in large quantities. It was stored in about 200 woven bags, pulled from almost every shack. The two initial suspects evaded capture, but the teams recovered about 50 tons of yellow maize. ALSO READ: Learner from Evander High School gets chosen as exchange student to Egypt The price of yellow maize for the July 2025 contract on the South African Futures Exchange is approximately R4 019.80 per ton. Consequently, 50 tons would be valued at roughly R201 000. Several suspicious vehicles, including a 32-ton truck and trailer, were also identified nearby and are believed to be linked to the syndicate involved in the theft operation. Hennie Bekker, AfriForum's district co-ordinator for the Highveld, told the Streeknews that grain theft is an ongoing concern in the agricultural industry. 'Farmers suffer immense losses due to grain theft. Proving the origin of a maize cob or pit is challenging. For instance, if a car is stolen, its ownership can be proved via a VIN or registration number, but proving ownership of grain is impossible,' Bekker explained. 'The real value of what is stolen is also difficult to determine. These thieves steal grain in bags or come onto lands with bakkies, sometimes stealing hectares at a time, so it is nearly impossible to quantify the losses. 'The additional cost of security is another contributing factor to the losses farmers suffer from grain theft, and there is, unfortunately, no real solution to this problem,' Bekker concluded. The Streeknews was unable to confirm at the time of going to print whether there were any arrests in the Hawerklip case. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
03-05-2025
- The Citizen
Woes over starving chickens in Delmas continue
The DA in Mpumalanga has called on the NSPCA to intervene and take action against the management of a Daybreak Poultry Farm in Delmas. That is according to a media statement released by Tersia Marshall, DA spokesperson for Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs recently. 'We discovered acts of animal cruelty and neglect on the poultry farm associated with the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs,' said Marshall. Chickens on the farm have resorted to cannibalism because of not being fed for at least four consecutive days. According to Marshall, the DA has learnt day-old chicks died because of cold exposure. 'Ongoing electrical disruptions that have prevented access to essential heating equipment reportedly caused this,' Marshall added. 'We witnessed the severity of the impact on-site. Numerous chicken bodies were scattered outside the poultry runs. In one particularly distressing instance, chickens escaped through a narrow opening in the structure, desperately searching for food, only to peck at the decomposing carcasses of their fellow chickens. 'Previously, we alerted the MEC of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs, Mpumelelo Hlophe, about a substantial number of chickens had died because of a lack of food. 'However, no response or intervention has been forthcoming from the MEC or the department. It is concerning to note how the MEC has turned a blind eye to gross violation of animal welfare standards,' Marshall added. This was after reports surfacing about chickens on farms in the Delmas district resorting to cannibalism after being without food for up to three days. Reports of breeders not getting paid for chickens delivered to Daybreak also reached Streeknews. 'We have been battling since January to get paid by Daybreak for chickens delivered,' one such breeder, who wishes to stay anonymous, told Streeknews. 'Since the incident in February when chickens starved of hunger, we have heard about more than one farm where no food was delivered or not enough delivered and where the chickens resorted to cannibalism because of hunger. 'We are, however, contractually bound to grow only Daybreak chicks and also restricted to the chicken feed supplied by Daybreak. We also received regular visits in the last months from the SPCA.' Streeknews made numerous attempts to contact a spokesperson for Daybreak Foods, but at the time of going to print, had no success. The DA reiterates all animals, regardless of their economic purpose, are entitled to humane treatment. The reported conditions on the farm constitute a violation of the Animals Protection Act, 1962 (Act No. 71 of 1962), which states under Section 2(1)(e) and (q) that any person who 'being the owner or person having the charge or control of any animal, fails to provide such animal with sufficient food or water or causes any animal to be subjected to unnecessary suffering' is guilty of an offence. 'The DA remains committed to ensuring all animals are treated with dignity and those responsible for cruelty and neglect held accountable under the law,' Marshall concluded. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
