Attorney Michael de Broglio on: South Africa, Law, Politics, Attorneys, Sport, Photography, Technology, Gadgets, Media, Crime, Road Accidents Fund,
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I must say I was devastated to read about a man who retired in October last year, aged 84, and was left with nothing, by the name of Mokgwabone Kleinboy Dinake. He apparently worked as a farm labourer his whole life at Nooitgedacht in North West, in the employ of Mr Boet Terre’blanche. He earned R300 a month when he retired and was left with nothing. I don’t know how people can pay R300 a month. It is absolutely appalling.
I would never want to, on any of my trips to overseas destinations, have to explain to somebody that some people in South Africa, after working for years for an employer, earn as little as about $20 a month. Paying somebody a salary like this is basically no better than treating them as a slave and the biggest tragedy is after he was awarded money by the Department of Labour in an amount of R50 000 he died. Apart from anything else there is a minimum wage for farm workers, which from 1 March this year was R3 169 a month. It is things like this that make a lot of people lose sympathy with some South Africans when there is talk on nationalisation of land or of houses, etc.
Posted by Michael de Broglio on Friday 10-Aug-18
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Comments
Tersia said:
on Wednesday 05-Sep-18 07:38 AM
That is disgusting! I feel if you want to employ people you should have the money to pay them, at least what they are worth and for the work they do. If you cant then rather do the work yourself. Even domestic workers earn more than that, and to work on a farm, I would think, is a lot more work. It boggles my mind how he could have thought that such a little salary is enough.
Cornelie said:
on Tuesday 04-Sep-18 03:24 PM
This is shocking no person can live with that a month. Where is the peoples integratory.
Liz said:
on Tuesday 04-Sep-18 02:57 PM
This is basically slavery and so sad that we live in a country where this is the reality. It is appalling People take advantage of other people and feel no guilt or even loyalty toward someone that has dedicated their life to working for next to nothing.
Nikita said:
on Tuesday 04-Sep-18 10:53 AM
This is heart breaking. I don't think I could live with myself knowing that someone else I have to face on a daily basis is starving and its because of me.
Natasha said:
on Tuesday 04-Sep-18 10:33 AM
It is absolutely ridiculous i mean you cant even buy a months food with that amount for one person,and I can tell you now he had a whole family that he had to provide for it is so unfair to be treaded like a slave and then you only get R300 for being treated like a slave. And after working for someone their whole lives.. no I don't know how people do that they could have at least like gave him something extra when he retired
Jadine Richards said:
on Tuesday 28-Aug-18 09:50 AM
It is heartbreaking to hear how a persons life could end with so little after giving so much which I have no doubt that he did. People like this need to be protected. It is unfortunate that at the same time through providing adequate protection for people like this there were be those who unduly benefit but I think the good outweighs the bad here.
Michelle D said:
on Friday 24-Aug-18 04:57 PM
It's very sad to hear stories like this and how workers are not treated fairly. If it is a private sector worker with more than enough money to retire on and live out their lives then sure enough, it is a different story. But to have someone work for you their whole life and provide them with nothing when they are physically to old to work (and will most likely die destitute) is just inhumane. I don't know what kind of person could not feel guilty doing such a thing.
Brenda Du Toit said:
on Thursday 23-Aug-18 08:13 AM
People are so departed for work in this country they will settle for noting just to put food on their table.Its sad to see how people can treat others.
Daniella said:
on Monday 20-Aug-18 04:53 PM
That for me is the most despicable thing you can do to someone - Hard work and determination needs to be paid accordingly! i cannot believe that someone can pay another person that and think its okay!
Alexis said:
on Monday 20-Aug-18 09:06 AM
That is very sad to hear...I cannot believe that some people still have that mentality of really not caring about one another...I feel bad not tipping Uber for crying out load...b ut to tip them every day...its a bit much. All we can do is hope that this will be the last we will hear of such ludicrously
Thabitha said:
on Thursday 16-Aug-18 07:45 AM
This is not new to me one of my family I have known since I was a baby they’ve spent their entire life working for farmer’s husband is earning less than R3000 and the wife R500 a month. I am talking about old people when you ask them why don’t you move to the urban/location because now you receive social grant money their answer will be my boss needs me I’ve worked for him since I was young, what sadden me the most they are so loyal to their employer they are always on time weather conditions doesn’t bother them and again I don’t blame them because farming is their life.
Jessica said:
on Wednesday 15-Aug-18 08:41 AM
That is totally heart breaking! So sad how a person can devote their entire life to you and are repayed with milk tops... In fact, in some parts of the Western Cape the 'dop system' is alive and well, not only 'reviving' slavery but feeding the problem that is alcoholism!!
courtney said:
on Wednesday 15-Aug-18 08:28 AM
So sad, but he still worked even if it was for peanuts.
I really do feel sorry for people who works for nothing.
Joyce said:
on Tuesday 14-Aug-18 05:03 PM
I think maybe Mr Boet Terre’blanche was not aware that what he was doing to Mokgwabone Kleinboy Dinake was not fair or was slavery.
Sinead said:
on Tuesday 14-Aug-18 04:46 PM
What does one do with R300 a month?? My groceries come to more than that in a month! That isn't even a tank of petrol?? No. That is really ridiculous... Exploitation even!
And it's people like him that don't complain, but are able to make it work... Very sad
Angelique Jurgens said:
on Monday 13-Aug-18 11:49 AM
That is shocking. How did he even eat for R300 a month? I have no words - you are absolutely right in saying that is slavery! If he worked 21 days then he would have been paid under R15 an hour for hard labour. Absolutely disgusting.
Michelle said:
on Monday 13-Aug-18 10:48 AM
I am so shocked to have learned that somebody in today`s life actually earned just as little as R300 a month. I would have loved to meet Mr Dinake, just to ask him how on earth he did it. I've read an article on this and its quiet interesting to get a little more background on this story. I also think there are many more people that earn such a low salary this is just the only person that we are aware of.
Victoria said:
on Monday 13-Aug-18 09:27 AM
That is really terrible that he was getting R300 a month, that is nothing.
Shristi said:
on Saturday 11-Aug-18 08:12 AM
This is absolutely sad. His employer clearly has no compassion whatsoever..How does one survive on R300 a month with the increasing prices of the basic necessities in our country.
Nicolle said:
on Friday 10-Aug-18 04:24 PM
We live in a society in which there are great disparities in wealth. Millions of people are living in deplorable conditions and in great poverty. There is a high level of unemployment, inadequate social security, and many do not have access to clean water or to adequate health services, and, there will always be people who take advantage of people who are already seriously disadvantaged. The only remedy for this crippling problem is EDUCATION. What government and the people of South Africa seem to fail to understand, is, that, education is a lifelong endeavour. What we need is a platform to inform and educate the masses of their very basic human rights.
Megan said:
on Friday 10-Aug-18 03:22 PM
When you're not a registered employee and desperate for work it is very easy to be exploited. It is inhuman and disgusting to hear people can't think about someone else, how on earth is a person supposed to live on such a low wage feeding their family and having all the means to survive. To live till 84yrs on such a small amount basically still being forced to work, its terrible!
Mathilda Du Preez said:
on Friday 10-Aug-18 12:36 PM
I wonder if Mr Boet Terre’blanche will be able to survive on R300.00 a month???
This is so disturbing and inhuman really can’t believe there are people like that !
Ashleigh said:
on Friday 10-Aug-18 12:13 PM
That is disgusting!! It really is heartbreaking that this man had to suffer and still has to suffer after possibly everything he has done for his employer. This man was possibly trapped and had no other options in life and this farmer used that for self gain. If this man's farm is taken from him without compensation, I would not feel bad for him. The thing is that this farmer now brands other farmers that are nothing like him.
Prishani said:
on Friday 10-Aug-18 10:59 AM
This is truly sad and disturbing, how people can live with themselves by treating other people like their employees in such an inhumane way I can’t understand. I agree this sounds more like slavery to me. I am glad that justice was served, it is just disappointing that it was too late.
Jadine Esterhuizen said:
on Friday 10-Aug-18 10:37 AM
R300 that is so heartbreaking not even 3 to 4 grocery items can be bought with that amount. It is a disgrace that people still have to make ends meet with so little.
Helen said:
on Friday 10-Aug-18 09:25 AM
It is very sad to see something like this, I always thought that such as a low salaries can be in Ukraine only, but less then $ 20.00 a month will not even make you to survive in South Africa! I wonder why did Mokgwabone Kleinboy Dinake excepted such as a low income?
It is disgrace to treat your employees like this!
According to the Global Slavery Index report - there are an estimated 248 700 modern slaves in South Africa. South Africa ranks in the top 50 in the index, in the 27th spot with Trinidad and Tobago.
The foundation examined practices such as forced labor, human trafficking, debt bondage, child exploitation and forced marriage.
Tamaryn said:
on Friday 10-Aug-18 09:21 AM
I'm not sure how any employer can justify this within themselves. They would see an elderly man putting in a hard day's work each day and still be OK with paying him only R300 a month? This employer sounds to me like he has no respect for other human beings' dignity and needs, but more than anything the employer clearly lacks any form of conscience or empathy. I think any person hiring someone full-time for below the minimum wage ought to spend some time in prison.
NIna said:
on Friday 10-Aug-18 08:59 AM
Definitely shocking. It is scary to think that some people can treat others so poorly and still sleep at night. We can just hope that this is not something that happens too often, because it is a disgrace.
Bianca N said:
on Friday 10-Aug-18 08:53 AM
This is absolutely horrifying. Paying someone so little when you know very well there is NO WAY that they could survive on this amount of money is completely disgraceful. You should consider that even though someone works for you, they do it because they need to survive and provide for their families. I can't believe that there are people who do this to people who work for them.
Clare said:
on Friday 10-Aug-18 08:28 AM
This makes me so angry and sad at the same time I don't understand how people can treat other people like that. R300.00 WHAT IS THAT today that is like bread and mike and some pup what else can you do with that. R300.00 Is my petrol to work a week..... I am so angry right now.
Melissa said:
on Friday 10-Aug-18 08:02 AM
This is a disgrace how can people be so harsh. This is definitely slave labour.
brumilde said:
on Friday 10-Aug-18 07:25 AM
Shocking to read this, R300 a Month!! i agree that is slave labour, like he was some cotton farmer back in the old american days when they still had slavery. Shows you that the past will always linger
patrick said:
on Friday 10-Aug-18 07:18 AM
Whoever was his boss is inhuman. This is the kind of treatment that will always make unions relevant in our country.
Johannesburg based attorney specializing in personal injury matters including Road Accident Fund claims and medical negligence matters. My interests include golf, reading and the internet and the way it is constantly developing. I have a passion for life and a desire for less stress!
