Petrus Nel said he has tried to force the land grabbers to move off his farm but had no success. Photos by Morapedi Mashashe.

FARMER Petrus Nel is a worried man.

The 52-year-old from Tshwane said the nearby people of Soshanguve have been grabbing his land.

He said it began about a month ago when a group of men armed with pangas started chopping down trees to build shacks.

Nel, who has lived in the area for 20 years and speaks Sotho fluently, cried when he told the SunTeam how he often helped the community.

“Residents knocked at my door at any time, and I was treated like a neighbour.”

He said he had even been to the High Court to try and get the land grabbers to move off his land.

“When my cows and fences started disappearing, I realised I was fighting a losing battle.”

He claimed cops have refused to open a case for him and he was told that he should get a private company to evict the squatters.

“I thought the community would help me and discourage the squatters from taking my land, but they failed to assist me.

A squatter said he saw nothing wrong with grabbing the land.

“We know of the good things Nel has done here but his farm is just too big. People live in back rooms and are cramped in shacks.

“He should show us that he is compassionate by sharing the farm with us,” he said.

Solly Motlhatlego, a spokesman for Barua Kgomo, an organisation of livestock farmers in Tshwane, said they were disappointed by the actions of the squatters.

“It’s sad that he is being let down by people he has helped.”

Hammanskraal police spokeswoman Constable Phemelo Aphane said Nel should contact the station commander.