Operation Basadi recovers livestock worth more than R290,000 near Eswatini border - IOL

During Operation Basadi, law enforcement successfully recovered stolen livestock, including cattle.

A joint law enforcement initiative recovered stolen cattle, sheep, and goats valued at over R290,000 during a targeted operation along the South African and Eswatini border on Monday.

Operation Basadi, the transnational crackdown targeted stock theft networks operating around Ndonga Farm and Mafufumbe, near Mayflower.

The multi-agency operation brought together elite units, including the South African Police Service (SAPS) Stock Theft and Endangered Species (STES) units from Elukwatini, Ermelo, Bethal, and Middelburg, alongside Visible Policing members, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), and the Royal Eswatini Police STES.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Thulisile Magagula said: “Throughout the sweep, officers screened 129 cattle and 67 sheep and goats, conducted 19 searches, and carried out five farm patrols across the region.”

During Operation Basadi, law enforcement successfully recovered stolen livestock, including goats.

Magagula said: “While no arrests were made during the immediate operation, police issued three official notices for alleged contraventions under the Animal Identification Act 6 of 2002 and the Stock Theft Act.”

Mpumalanga SAPS Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Apaphia Modise, praised the inter-agency collaboration, emphasising that South Africa remains dedicated to working with neighboring countries to disrupt cross-border crime syndicates and protect local farming communities.