By Farai Maphosa| There is a huge concern in Mbire Constituency in Zimbabwe over the rising stock theft which is being exacerbated by corrupt police and veterinary officers in the area, ZimEye heard.

Speaking to ZimEye, the legislator for the area, Douglas Karoro said the constituency is appalled by the brazen stock thefts that are happening in the area saying the racket includes police, veterinary officers, and traditional leaders.

“What we have established is that we have rogue members of the police and some village heads taking a leading role in the stock thefts.

“Other government officials complicit in these stock thefts are veterinary officers who clear the stolen beasts for easy movements,” revealed Karoro.

The Mbire legislator said the racket is mainly targeting Mozambique livestock where they sneak out through the porous Kanyemba Border area to steal cattle and goats from the country’s eastern neighbours but the locals are also not being spared from these stock thefts.

“Thieves are easily targeting Mozambique cattle and goats by utilising the porous Kanyemba border area.

“But when they fail to steal from our neighbours they don’t spare their folk’s livestock,” added Karoro.

ZimEye sought comment from Mashonaland Central police spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe who said he was away from work and will only be able to give an informed response once back at work.

However, cases of police officers working in cahoots with stock thieves are not new in Zimbabwe. In 2017,12 cops based at Zaka Police Station were nabbed for stock theft and last year officers at Charandura police station in Chirumanzu were allegedly accused of aiding cattle rustling syndicates in the area.

But there has been concern that the police have been protecting the rogue cops by not convicting those who would have been implicated opting to redeploy them rather.