The KwaZulu-Natal High Court has ordered the Minister of police to pay farmer Arnold Fourie Raath R2 million in damages after community members slaughtered his game animals during a protest.
Raath, who farms macadamia nuts, pineapples and game at Kroonvrug Farm, kept about 80–90 animals in a ten-hectare camp next to his home.
The Mdletshe community’s cattle strayed onto his land on 17 May 2015 and later died.
Incident on Kroonvrug Farm
SAPS and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals officials initially planned to bury the carcasses, but the community objected.
The police left the carcasses on the farm, and by 19 May, a protest was underway.
Raath told the court he repeatedly phoned Hluhluwe station commander Captain Zelda Ntuli to stop protesters from entering.
He said people set fire to machinery, raided crops, and then slaughtered his animals while police stood by.
Police response challenged
Raath argued that police failed to act despite warnings, and that their omission was negligent and unlawful.
The police minister’s defence claimed officers prioritised Raath and his family’s safety, but the protest’s size overwhelmed them.
Ntuli testified that she stayed at the camp gate to protect the farmhouse, but an obstructed view prevented her from seeing animals being killed.
She admitted that Raath and another farmer called her about the protest, but she denied that they told her about the slaughter inside the camp.
Court rejects police account
Judge Mokgere Masipa dismissed Ntuli’s version as implausible.
“She stood at the camp gate, from where she could see the northeastern and southeastern corners. It is inconceivable that a large group chased and killed animals for over an hour without detection,” Masipa said.
The court ruled that the omissions of the Saps were wrongful and negligent, directly causing Raath’s loss.
The court ordered the minister of police to pay Raath R2 million in damages, plus 9% annual interest from the date of demand until final payment.
