“We are waiting to hear what exactly is expected from us. The requirements have not been published yet. But we will definitely apply and go if we are allowed. We have lost everything we built up in South Africa, so we don't see any reason why we can't start from scratch in America.”
These are the words of Zenia Pretorius. The farm she and her husband Ludwich owned near Polokwane has been repossessed by the bank.
The family had been involved in a violent stand-off with the nearby community of Taaibos.
When they bought their farm in 2001, the piece of land was her husband’s dream.
“Over the years there was a lot of petty crime, here and there a cow slaughtered, cable theft, transformers destroyed, animal snares set on our property, and so on.
“But last year everything changed. We were hounded off our property by the people from Taaibos,” Pretorius said.
Last July the couple awoke one morning to discover their entire fence — 6.2km — had been stolen.
It cost R200,000 to replace it.
“We replaced about 1.5km that first day. That night someone stole it all.”
Her husband tried talking to local community leaders, to no avail.
“Ludwich is fluent in Sotho and even that did not help at all. Our neighbours wanted our land and nothing we said or did would change that.”
They called the police several times. Pretorius said local police told them to impound the community's animals, which were grazing on their land.
“My husband and my father-in-law impounded about 300 cattle, 150 goats and 50 donkeys.”
All hell broke loose.
“Early that morning the threatening calls and messages started. People from Taaibos said they were coming for us and they wanted their animals and their land.”
There was a confrontation. They grabbed our employees, refused to let them go. We called the police and activated our area security group. A tense standoff followed at our gates.”
“Taaibos people were already singing Kill the Boer and shouting threats at us. There were about 50 of them at our gate and another 50 at our stores.”
“Ludwich promised to release the animals if they let the three men go. They did that and we got our three men back.”
From there things escalated until the farm was unworkable.
“Despite armed anti-poaching people we brought in to guard us and our property everything we owned was being carried away piece by piece.”
The final clincher was when the bank wanted their money.
“We had term loans that were outstanding. We owed the bank R11m but they valued the farm at R41m.
Yes we will miss family, but if leaving them is the price we have to pay for the safety of our three children it is what we must do
— Zenia Pretorius
“The bank took the farm back and we lost everything. We have to start over. I am living in a rented house in Dendron while my husband works on a cousin’s farm. How can people be angry at us for wanting to accept President Trump’s offer if everything we have built in this country was taken from us and the state did nothing.”
“Yes we will miss family, but if leaving them is the price we have to pay for the safety of our three children it is what we must do. Isolation is nothing new for us.
“Going to a country where we start with nothing is intimidating but not impossible.
“My husband has a BCom degree in marketing from the University of Pretoria with agriculture subjects. If he can he would like to stay in his field, but if he can't we don't have a problem with doing menial work. We are still young enough to work hard in America.
“For five weeks after the first main incident Ludwich and I slept with the kids in the living room. We slept in shifts and took turns to keep watch. No matter what anybody tells me, I don't believe we will find this kind of life in the US.”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.