A Farmer Urges the Police to Detain Those Responsible for Responsible for their Farm’s Destruction

A farmer in Limpopo’s Wonderboom in Ga-Masemola, outside of Lebowakgomo, is pleading with the police to detain those responsible for their farm’s destruction. Some locals who are upset about the land being given to aspiring and new farmers are said to have set fire to the farm.

Livestock, crops, and facilities were all impacted and destroyed.

It’s said that a gang of neighborhood residents broke through the fence and entered the farm with a variety of weapons. They set fire to the house and two adjacent shacks after destroying the belongings within. There were also some chickens inside a burned-out chicken coop.

Additionally, the progressed maize fields’ fence was damaged by the criminals, allowing straggling goats and cattle to eat the crops.

According to Thabang Thobejan, the farm manager, the cost of devastation is in the millions of rand.

“There are damages to the fence. Everything is broken. The structure has burned down, along with the roof and the equipment that we utilize. The animals were fortunate not to be slain. However, everything we used is now reduced to ashes.

Wilson Mogowe, the community leader, reports that the farm owner, who recently received 35 hectares of property from Masemola Tribal Authority, has all the paperwork required to farm in the region.

He claims that because the farm had the potential to strengthen the local economy, the devastation was brought about by people who are opposing development in the area.

“Those who oppose growth simply showed up and started wreaking havoc. The farm owner was even accused of not being from this area, despite having been born and raised here. This is also where his parents and grandparents are staying; the farm owner only recently got married to a woman from the nearby hamlet.

Mabitla Motloheloa, a farm worker, claims, “They cut the fence and destroyed everything here.” As the workers here, they also set fire to all of our possessions in the house, including our mattresses. Everything was lost to us.

According to Limpopo police, investigations are ongoing, and they believe that a land dispute was the cause of the violence.