Schalk Burger Senior was a no-show at court yesterday after he applied for a protection order against an Icosa leader and three others for allegedly harassing him.
Burger, the father of Springbok rugby player Schalk Burger, wants the four banned from his larney wine estate, Welbedacht in Wellington, and also for them to stop posting defaming comments about him on social media.
He also claims he feels “harassed” by stories published in the media.
Alvina Abrahams, the Vice-President of the Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (Icosa), her policeman husband David Abrahams, Anneline Arendse, Burger’s tenant and Anica le Grange, who currently lives in Germany, called on mense on Twitter to rally against Burger as he was a “racist” and treating his workers poorly.
The group was served with the protection order last week.
Yesterday, they made their first appearance in the Wellington Magistrates’ Court, supported by the community and Icosa members.
But Schalk did not turn up at court; instead his lawyer Fanie le Roux represented him.
All parties were told to be back at court on August 10 to get legal representation.
An angry Alvina said outside court: “He is trying to silence us via the media and social media because we are exposing what is happening to our farm workers.”
Le Roux told the Daily Voice Schalk didn’t need to be at court as he was the representative.