A Mpumalanga agricultural products retailer which has hauled a leading equipment distributor to court over its alleged non-action against an employee for using the K-word is up in arms over its participation at national agricultural expo Nampo.
It was important to take a stand against racism, said Nico von Wielligh, CEO of VDB Ermelo, last week after a stalled attempt to have a leading equipment manufacturer removed from the country’s biggest agricultural expo.
The agricultural products retailer has hauled leading equipment distributor Kempston Agri, based in Qeberha, and its German supplier, Claas SA, to court after technical manager Chris Diedericks allegedly used the K-word in a presentation in December 2020.
It laid a case of crimen injuria against Diedericks with Ermelo police in December last year, and in April lodged a complaint in the Mpumalanga Equality Court against him, Vincemus Investments, which trades as Kempston Agri, and Claas SA. Vincemus is opposing the case.
During his presentation at the Ermelo dealership, Diedericks allegedly said in Afrikaans that “a k****r who worked for his brother” had told him that it’s black people who have to drive tractors and he agreed with that. He said a tractor needed to be checked for grease and oil every morning, which is something white men wouldn’t do but black men would. He also allegedly said he “didn’t like k****rs” but that didn’t mean he was racist as he was “merely calling a spade a spade”.
His alleged comments are contained in a recording that went viral on social media and was broadcast on the local community radio station, Radio Lekwa.
A disciplinary hearing was undertaken at the time by an independent third party and the employee was sanctioned accordingly
— Dick David
Last week, ahead of Nampo, the country’s foremost agricultural expo, VDB Ermelo asked agriculture minister Thoko Didiza and the expo organiser to have Kempston Agri removed as an exhibitor.
In the three-page letter, VDB informs Didiza and Grain SA, which organises Nampo, that Kempston Agri and Claas would “contaminate the exhibition” because they allegedly “supported and promoted racism”.
It also provided a transcript of an English translation of the conversation in which Diedericks allegedly said the K-word several times.
“Claas South Africa and Vincemus Investments, they associated themselves with the racist, unfair discrimination and hate speech remarks,” the letter states.
Von Wielligh, who reported the matter to Kempston Agri, confirmed sending the letter by e-mail to Didiza and Grain SA, petitioning them to remove the two companies from the expo held in Bothaville in the Free State.
He said Diedericks continued to work for and represent Kempston Agri and Claas as if nothing had happened, even after he had reported the incident.
Kempston Agri GM Dick David said he was not aware of the letter but said an employee who had used the K-word had been “sanctioned accordingly”.
“The Nampo show, which we are in the middle of, is a very busy period for both parties in your question. I have not seen or spoken to the organisers as yet as we are entirely focused on addressing and hosting our customers, as is usual,” David said.
He said he assumed that the matter will be addressed after the show, given the circumstances.
“A disciplinary hearing was undertaken at the time by an independent third party and the employee was sanctioned accordingly, given the known facts and circumstances at the time and within the parameters of South African labour law.”
When asked what the sanction was, David said: “We are travelling today and as such I do not have access to documents… I will respond accordingly tomorrow [Friday] morning.” He later declined to comment further.
David claimed that VDB was trying to extract “compensation by accusing Kempston of racial prejudice”, which Von Wielligh denied.
Du Toit Wessels, Grain SA and Nampo’s assistant manager for marketing, said: “We have been too busy since Sunday to be able to attend to the e-mails we’ve received.”
Didiza’s spokesperson, Reggie Ngcobo, said he was aware of VDB’s e-mail and while the minister condemned any form of racism, the expo was a privately organised event with no government involvement.
Von Wielligh said his company had lost revenue because it had chosen to no longer associate with Kempston Agri after it had failed to take suitable action against Diedericks.
“We suffered a great loss for our stance against racism. They [Kempston Agri and Claas] can’t be allowed to act like we are still in apartheid; that’s why we have informed the minister and Grain SA,” Von Wielligh said.
Claas spokesperson Wolfram Eberhardt said they were “aware of this case and provided in 2021 a clear statement referring to our corporate values”, adding that the company did not tolerate any discrimination against people of colour and racist expressions.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brig Selvy Mohlala said the crimen injuria docket had been referred to a prosecutor for a decision.
“The… investigating officer was instructed to obtain a statement from the accused. He said he will compile it with his attorney and bring it to the investigating officer,” Mohlala said.
Diedericks did not respond to requests for comment.
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