Less than 40 percent of the stock -- including game, cattle, sheep and goats -- was recovered, DA rural safety spokesman Ryno King said in a statement.
"In a reply to a parliamentary question, the DA has learnt that 28,828 animals were reported stolen from farms from March 2006 until September 2007."
South Africa's farmers were now paying dearly for the closure of commando units, he said. Worst hit was KwaZulu-Natal with 7,256 animals stolen, closely followed by the Eastern Cape (7,099). All provinces experienced stock theft, including Free State (4,700), North West (2,878), Mpumalanga (2,710), Limpopo (1,571), Northern Cape (1,315), Western Cape (780) and Gauteng (519).
"Of the above, 38 percent of the stolen cattle, sheep and goats were recovered. "The 2006/07 SA Police Service crime statistics show that 219,833 stocktheft crimes have been recorded since April 2001."
According to last month's National Stock Theft Forum figures, the value of the stock stolen last year was over R327 million. King said only 10.62 percent of reported stock theft cases "make it to a first court appearance", down on last year's figure of 12.04 percent.
He called on Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota to urgently reconsider the future of the commando units, and their possible role in supporting law and order in border and rural areas.
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