A former employee of Die Antwoord has accused them of exploiting her and neglecting children in their care.
Image by Theo Wargo/AFP
‘It was too much’: Ex-nanny accuses Die Antwoord of exploitation
A former nanny of Die Antwoord claims she suffered a breakdown and burnout after caring for children in their care…
A former employee of Die Antwoord has accused them of exploiting her and neglecting children in their care.
Image by Theo Wargo/AFP
The woman tasked with caring for Die Antwoord’s foster children has made damning allegations of exploitation and child neglect from her years in service.
Speaking under anonymity, the woman revealed all to News24 this week about her experience with the rap-rave band.
Die Antwoord’s Ninja and Yolandi Visser – real names Watkin Jones and Andri du Toit – have hit back at child abuse claims made by their former foster son Gabrielle “Tokkie” du Preez.
In a statement on Wednesday 25 May, the group called allegations leveled against them a “fake news campaign”.
ALSO READ: ‘No hate in our hearts’: Die Antwoord finally responds to child abuse claims
‘THEY WILL USE YOU’
According to News24, woman claimed she began working for Die Antwoord after Ninja allegedly propositioned her and her partner to be his lovers.
After declining, the woman began working as an assistant and au pair for the group for R5000 a month.
Die Antwoord fostered Tokkie, his younger sister, and another boy from the suburb of Fietas in Vrededorp, Johannesburg. They also have their own biological daughter, who is 17 years old.
The woman alleges to the publication that the group would:
- Encourage Tokkie to act out and carry knives and toy guns like a “robber in a heist”
- Expose the children to drugs and alcohol during wild parties
- “Use” son Tokkie “for content”
- Be away for an extended period, leaving her to “parent” the children
In addition, the woman claims the group exploited her.
She told News24: “I never had time off or time away from them for three years…I couldn’t be the tutor, the psychologist, the therapist, the house-sitter, and the nanny.
“It was too much for me.”
The woman eventually suffered a breakdown and a burnout from work. When asked if she would ever consider working for Die Antwoord again, the woman told the publication: “Never in my entire life, ever.”
ALSO READ: Blood rituals, porn & violence: Die Antwoord’s ‘child slave’ tells all [watch]
FANS SLAM DIE ANTWOORD STATEMENT
Meanwhile, fans of Die Antwoord are not buying their statement issued on social media.
In a lengthy statement on Facebook and Instagram, the group called Tokkie for allegedly using drugs and slandering their name. They also slammed their former tour cameraman Ben Jay Crossman and News24 for “orchestrating” a smear campaign.
Here’s what Twitter users had to say:
@deboma: “Die Antwoord finally respond to the allegations & immediately lose all credibility by saying ‘woke mind virus’ go away you freaks”
@poeticjustice92: “Didn’t really understand how they got big and still don’t really see how they’re relevant or why they are trying to play the blame game”
@LuxageMusic: “Bro Die Antwoord are the f**king worst. I hope they get locked up. Shitty humans”
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