The KwaZulu-Natal police stock theft unit is still on the hunt for cattle rustlers who stole Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini’s cattle — including his prized Boran — after breaking into his three kraals last week.
The thieves walked away with the king’s 21 cattle but 10 were later recovered in Kwaceza‚ about 65km from Nongoma. The rustlers broke three fences to the kraals at Dlomodlomo in Nongoma on Wednesday last week.
The police said on Monday that no one had been arrested in connection with the theft and they were still continuing with their investigation.
The stolen cattle were branded with the royal mark of the king‚ who had not yet been informed about the theft on Friday‚ according to a herder who looks after his cattle.
A keen cattle farmer‚ the Zulu monarch has a large herd of Nguni stud cattle and has been the recipient of many cattle‚ including long-horned Ankole-Watusi cattle given to him by President Cyril Ramaphosa in November last year.
EFF leader Julius Malema also gave the Zulu king four pregnant cows and a bull when he paid homage to him in Nongoma for his birthday celebration last year.
The herder‚ who did not want to be named‚ said none of the cattle given to the king by Ramaphosa was stolen‚ but only the Boran cattle. The Boran cattle are originally from Kenya and are well known for their hardiness and ability to survive harsh climate conditions.
In 2012 King Zwelithini bought a herd of 40 Boran cattle worth an estimated R2-million at an auction in the Free State. On the same day‚ he splashed out R190‚000 for a heifer and its calf.
Two months earlier‚ he had snapped up another dozen Boran cattle worth about R684‚000 at the national Boran auction in Parys in the Free State.
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