Maria David
A GRUESOME scene unfolded on Farm Dagbreek, owned by a man named Iyambo Iyambo, on Thursday, when a local farmer reported a disturbing incident to the police.
Head of Community Affairs for the Kunene Region, Chief Inspector Vehangaiza Hindjou, said that the discovery was made around 15:00, after Nico Alberts, owner of the neighbouring Farm Bergvlei, alerted officials that his cattle had been driven on foot through his property and onto Farm Dagbreek.
According to Hindjou, the farm owner and his farm workers followed the tracks, which led them to a scene where more than thirty cattle had been slaughtered.
“The suspects were in the process of butchering the animals and preparing biltong when they were disturbed by the approaching farm workers. They managed to evade capture, abandoning their operation and fleeing the scene,” she said.
She added that the suspects, however, took the precaution of removing all ear tags from the slaughtered cattle, hindering the immediate identification of the animals’ owners.
Additionally, Hindjou indicated that several surviving cattle were found with severe leg injuries, seemingly inflicted to prevent them from escaping.
She added that they suspect the slaughtered cattle may belong to multiple owners from surrounding farms.
As of now, no formal case has been opened, but the police are actively conducting investigations to identify the perpetrators and determine the full extent of the crime.
