POLICE had to be called to remove a group of farmers who yesterday blocked the busy Rustenburg road that cuts through their farms in protest over failure to compensate them.

The dispute between Rietvlei land owners and North West roads and transport department turned nasty when the farmers started digging a section of the Phokeng-Sun City road.

This road was constructed in 2008 as an alternative route to the Royal Bafokeng Stadium during last year's Fifa Soccer World Cup.

Traffic yesterday came to a grinding halt when the farmers, using TLB excavators, dug up a section of the 9,3km bypass road.

Angel Ntuane, a farmer, said: "We had several meetings with head of the roads and transport department and she promised that we would be paid after the completion of the road but this has not happened.

"They are treating us as if this is Zimbabwe."

Even requests from stranded motorists to be allowed to pass were ignored by the protesting group.

"Why hasn't anyone told us that this road would be closed. We understand that they need to be paid their monies but we cannot bear the brunt of the State's blunder," one motorist said.

Department spokesperson Matshube Mfoloe said the dispute involved between R3,8million and R5,6million, which the four families were claiming from the department.

"In total, the four land owners claimed about R16million while we are offering R239000."

Mfoloe said the department had briefed its lawyers about the matter.