A KwaZulu-Natal farmer was attacked on Thursday on his farm by people to whom he leased a piece of land.
Anton Pitout, 42, was attacked by a crowd of people on his farm in Normandy, near Newcastle in the Drakensberg.
According to Joseph Renaud, AfriForum’s regional security chief for the Central Region, a dispute arose between Pitout and members of the community over a plot of 90 hectares of land that the community leases with him. They rent the land as pasture for their livestock. An argument ensued because they allowed more livestock to graze on the land than agreed upon. According to Renaud, this is the third time this group of people has attacked him.
Pitout was badly beaten with knobkierie and hit his face, head and all over his body. A farmer who came to his rescue was also assaulted.
According to Renaud, Pitout filed a complaint with the police. The KwaZulu-Natal police could not be reached to confirm whether they were investigating a case and what the complaint was
