COURTS GET TOUGH ON LIVESTOCK THEFT

The courts of law are to take a tough stance against livestock theft which is escalating at alarming rates in the country. This was said by Magistrate Motinyane of the Maseru Magistrate Court on Wednesday 17 September,2002 when passing sentence in the case in which two men Lerata Kotsane and Tanki Lehohla were accused of stealing. The two were sentenced to a fine of 7.000 Maluti or three years imprisonment after they were found with the sheep without proper bewys, the sentence was suspended for three years on condition that they are not found guilty of the same offence within that period.
 

Evidence led before court showed that the two were arrested at Upper Thamae in Maseru on Thursday last week after they were found trying to sell the two sheep, and that they produced bewys showing names of different people from Mokhotlong. They pleaded guilty as charged and after being found guilty the court was informed that they had no previous convictions. In mitigation the two asked for leniency saying they bought the two sheep legally and were issued the bewys by the owner, adding however that they were not aware that they had to apply for new bewys in their own names.
          

Magistrate Motinyane said he was giving them a benefit of a doubt as it used to be a practice in the past to sell livestock using the previous owner's bewys, adding however that the accused and the public must familiarise themselves with the newly enacted or amended laws. The two sheep were released to the accused because the Magistrate said the court was convinced that they did not steal them, but they were
cautioned not to repeat the offence again.
         

18 September,2002