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FAMILY’S OVER E140 000 WORTH CATTLE DISAPPEAR

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KHUPHUKA – A family is crying the loss of 22 cattle worth over E140 000, which strayed into businessman Robert Zwane’s farm when they last saw them.


The cattle belonged to the family of Lomgezo Sifundza of Khuphuka next to Mliba.
Relating the sad ordeal, Sifundza said when the cows disappeared she was bereaved as she had just lost her husband.
“When we traced them, we discovered that they had trespassed onto a farm owned by Zwane and we indeed confirmed that when one of my sons launched an investigation into the disappearance,” said Sifundza.


Charges


She said the family assigned her son to negotiate the charges with Zwane, which he did.
Sifundza said after they reached an agreement on how much would be paid for the ‘sins’ committed by the cattle, they gave Zwane a date on which they would come for them.
“However, on the morning of the day that we were supposed to fetch the cattle Zwane loaded them in a truck and took them to a pound in Mbabane.”


The Municipal Council of Mbabane, through Information and Public Relations Officer Lucky Tsabedze confirmed that Zwane brought a herd of cattle to be kept at the pound.
“Our records indicate that the cattle were brought in here on a certain date and were also taken out in the same truck in which they had arrived on another date.”


Pound


Tsabedze said normally, they do not screen the cattle when they arrive but they deal with the person who has brought them in terms of the charges for keeping them at the pound.
He said they have a provision that allows farmers to bring in cattle they have impounded anywhere in the country.
The elderly Sifundza, who has just turned 63 years old said they never got to see their cattle again after they were driven to the pound.


She said Zwane confirmed that he took the cattle there but allegedly denied that he took them out again.
According to Tsabedze, when the cattle were taken out of the pound, they were given to a representative of the Sifundza family who was of consenting age.
He did not state though how the Municipal Council verified that the said man was representing the Sifundza family.


Sifundza’s elder son, Khuphuka, said they reported the matter to the Mliba police who, after conducting an investigation, said one of their brothers was also implicated in the disappearance of the cattle.


Denied


“We all went to the police station including my brother and he flatly denied that he was involved in the alleged sale of the cattle.”
Khuphuka said they believed what their brother said because there was no way he could have sold family property, let alone at a time when their mother and stepmother were mourning the death of their father.


He said the police never concluded the matter and to their surprise, it was not a difficult case to work on as there are records of the transactions both at the pound and also at the dipping tank where cattle are normally registered and transfers are also approved.

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