Movie-style stock theft, as manager vanishes with 485 cattle

As the country is reeling from stock theft surge, farmers in Plumtree and surrounding Matebeleland provinces are living in severe shock following the arrest and remand of Timothy John Schultz (57) of number 3 Fitch road in Kumalo (Bulawayo) after vanishing with 485 cattle from Maphaneni ranch (under African Dreams Safaris, number 12 Hillcrest Farm, Gwanda) where he was employed as a manager.

Appearing before Plumtree magistrate, Mr Joshua Nembaware, Schultz is facing 12 counts of stock theft upon conviction.

Schultz has since been remanded in custody to 4 August at the Regional Court for bail application. At the initial appearance, Schultz made an application challenging his placement on remand, arguing that he acted within his duties when he sold the cattle since he was the manager.

However, the court ruled that there is a reasonable suspicion that he committed the offence, hence he was placed on remand.

The state led by Vorster Makuwerere told the court that on August 6 last year, Schultz proceeded to Maphaneni ranch where he misrepresented himself to Kudakwashe Maparura that he had been authorised by the complainant, Fbris Luka Ignatius to sell some cows with the proceeds meant to cover workers salaries. Without realising or suspecting any misrepresentation, Maparura consented to Schultz's request and loaded 49 cows which the accused vanishes delivered the herd to Accacia abattoir without the owner's authority.

Makuwerere told the court again that on August 21 of 2024, Schultz proceeded to Maphaneni ranch and misrepresented to Maparura again that he had been authorised by Fbris Luka Ignatius (complainant) to sell some cows, purportedly with the same intentions of covering workers salaries. He went ahead and load 49 cows which he delivered and sold to Accacia abattoir without the owner's authority.

The court further heard that on September 21, last year the accused proceeded to the same ranch and misrepresented using the same workers salaries arrears and payment modus operandi (modes of operation), loading 60 cows and delivered the herd to Accacia abattoir without the owner's authority.

On the fourth account, it was on October 23rd of 2024 when Schultz proceeded to Maphaneni ranch and misrepresented using the same modus operandi, where he loaded 49 cows which he delivered to Accacia abattoir without the owner's authority.

Schultz allegedly embarked on a series of crime commissions using the same modus operandi twelve (12) times, but on disaggregated monthly dates stretching between 2024 and upto (until) April 2025 when he was nabbed for a series stock theft criminal charges.

The total herd stolen by Schultz during a period extending from August 07 2024 to April 23 2025 which were not recovered, is 485 until his arrested for stock theft on July 31.