Buhera Central MP Calls for Joint Community-Police Effort to Curb Cattle Rustling

By Evans Jona

BUHERA — Buhera Central legislator Honourable Sam Matema has called for stronger collaboration between communities and police to curb a surge in cattle rustling that has left rural families counting heavy losses.

Speaking to Post On Sunday, Matema said rising stock theft cases across Buhera’s wards require a whole-of-society response, with residents working closely with law enforcement.

“The police’s effectiveness depends on community support,” he said. “We need to form vigilant neighbourhood groups that secure their areas because cattle rustlers are using vehicles to transport stolen livestock.”

His remarks come as organized cattle rustling syndicates terrorize rural communities, slaughtering livestock in the dead of night and vanishing without a trace. Community leaders say the brazen criminals are targeting large beasts, depriving families of their most valuable assets — a vital source of wealth and draught power.

The worst-hit areas include Ward 22, Ward 2, Ward 16, and parts of Buhera South, with most attacks targeting homesteads along the Murambinda–Birchenough Bridge road.

Matema urged livestock owners to improve pen security and swiftly report suspicious activity. He emphasized that any successful anti-stock theft effort must be community-driven.

“It starts with them, the police, and all of us,” he said. “Villagers should strengthen patrols and monitor access routes, especially at night when most of these crimes happen.”

Stock theft syndicates have grown increasingly daring in Buhera, using vehicles to ferry stolen cattle across district and provincial borders. Police operations have been hampered by vast rural terrain and isolated homesteads, limiting rapid response.

Matema also revealed plans for increased logistical support to rural police stations and the expansion of community-policing models tailored for remote areas.

“We must boost police capacity and empower community-led security structures,” he added.

Meanwhile, desperate villagers continue to call for stepped-up patrols, roadblocks, and tighter livestock market controls amid fears that unchecked rustling will further devastate livelihoods already battered by drought and economic hardship.