Each year, millions of rands worth of livestock is allegedly stolen by Lesotho nationals crossing the border illegally. To combat this problem, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has been deployed at the Ladybrand and Maseru borders until March 2024.

The SANDF aims to stop cattle theft and intercept anyone trying to cross through to South Africa via the Caledon River.

“They just take the cattle through the border and get them loaded onto the trucks. So they target the auction companies,” SANDF’s Botshelo Phutiyagae said.

Other issues such as illegal immigration and the smuggling of cigarettes and vehicles are also major concerns for the country, which the SANDF intends to combat alongside livestock theft.

Darul Ihsan Media Desk