Cape Town - Schalk Burger senior’s farmworkers have done a 180, and now say he is not a racist.
Speaking to the Daily Voice on Friday, a group of workers on Burger’s lavish Welbedacht wine estate in Wellington, said they wanted to “set the record straight”.
Many of the workers have come out in defence of Springbok captain Schalk Burger’s father, saying he never cut their water supply, and is actually a great boss.
The group is headed by Johannes Spannenberg, chairman of the Worker’s Forum on the farm, who says the woman accusing Burger of calling her a “h****t” is a liar.
Anneline Arendse opened a case of crimen injuria against Burger last week, and said he should either admit guilt and pay a fine, or face her in court.
Arends claimed Burger called her a “h****t” and accused her of breaking the farm’s water pump, resulting in the water supply being cut.
She also said Burger was charging workers “hundreds of rands” for rent and electricity, leaving them penniless.
Burger denied the claims, and said it was nothing but a political smear campaign instigated by Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (Icosa) provincial executive member Alvina Abrahams.
Abrahams has denied this, saying that she is fighting for workers’ rights.
Spannenberg said: “That woman [Arendse] saw the meneer [Burger] sitting on a chair outside fixing the water pump, he was down on his knees in the water.
“She says he called her a h****t but I was there and the boss only told her to go back inside her home.
“We want to set the record straight, we all had a supply of water while it was being fixed, including her, so why is the boss receiving a lawyer’s letter?”
Farm worker Maria Faroa, 50, said they had a good working relationship with Burger.
“I have been working for him for seven years and never did he use foul language with me,” she said.
However, one worker who asked not to be named, admitted that Burger had previously called them h****t.
“He called us h****t in the past but we forgave him for that, maybe he was just frustrated,” the man added.
Gert Goeieman would like Burger to reconsider their rent and electricity fees, which gets deducted from their wages every week.
“Right now I only receive a R140 and I can’t even withdraw that from the bank because of bank fees,” said Goeieman.
Burger, who is currently not in the country, previously said he was powerless because the rent and electricity fees are decided by the Department of Agriculture.
However, some tenants on his farm who do not work for him often do not pay these fees, leaving his workers disgruntled.
Daily Voice