Latest news with #BillyClaasen
Daily Maverick
18 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
From poor farmworker to lifeline for vulnerable Western Cape residents — an activist's tireless mission
Billy Claasen knows what it's like to struggle and has dedicated his life to fighting against the abuse of farmworkers and violence against women and children. Billy Claasen (52), who hails from Piketberg, is the son of a farmworker who was addicted to the 'dopstelsel'. He never wore shoes to primary school and hunted animals at night with his late father for supper. Despite his difficult upbringing, he beat the odds and now works closely with farmworkers facing evictions, helps family members of victims of gender-based violence (GBV) and murder in court, and takes part in searches for missing children. His NGO, the Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation, was established in 2017, and Claasen travels long distances to crime scenes across the Western Cape, often with little more than the goodwill of local businesses for support. He's stepped in to help residents and victims' families on a number of high-profile cases, including the recent Joshlin Smith trial. 'I always dreamed of becoming something more than just the child of poor farmworkers. In my search for success, life took me in different directions,' said Claasen in an interview. 'I worked on farms and later also had a brief stint in the defence force. I became involved in politics and trade unions and thus emerged as a leader in my communities.' Recalling the nightmares that still haunt him today, about how farmers used the 'dopstelsel' payment system for farmworkers during apartheid, turning them into alcoholics, he said: 'It wasn't nice to see my father every night drunk and no food in the home. Then my father and I had to go hunt animals so that we had something to eat before going to bed. We lived in an unused pig den, with the walls just raised a bit higher.' Early this year, Claasen's NGO distributed food, school items and sanitary pads worth R1-million to poor schools in parts of the Western Cape. On goodwill, a hope and a prayer Claasen is passionate about the fight against the abuse of farmworkers, illegal evictions and violence against women and children, and he often helps families in their quest for justice. During the conviction and sentencing of Joshlin Smith's mother, Racquel Smith, and her co-accused, Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn, who were sentenced to life in prison for human trafficking and 10 years for kidnapping, Claasen posted on social media that he needed taxi money for Joshlin's father, Jose Emke, to travel from Springbok to attend the proceedings in the Western Cape High Court, which were held in Saldanha Bay. 'There was a huge response, and enough money was raised to allow Joshlin's father to attend the judgment and sentencing proceedings. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed,' he said. A number of businesses support Claasen's work, but he asked that they not be named. 'Every month a certain petrol garage fills up my tank to ensure that I am prepared for any emergency that may come.' When 13-year-old Jerobejin van Wyk disappeared in February 2022 in Klawer, the owner of a local guesthouse told Claasen: 'Whenever you are in this town to do work, your accommodation is free.' He cites the case as one of the most difficult he's encountered. Following Jerobejin's disappearance he received a call requesting his help. 'At that time I was in Klapmuts, 262km from Klawer. I didn't have petrol money when I received the call. My late parents, Jeanetta Andrew and Lewies Andrew, each took R500 from their Sassa grant for me to go and help and look for someone else's child.' Jerobejin's remains were found in a drain on the accused's property. Claasen says he's never been the same since seeing the drain and 'pieces of flesh of Jerobejin inside'. In November 2024, the Western Cape High Court, sitting in Vredendal, sentenced Klawer killer Daniel Smit to life imprisonment for Jerobejin's murder. 'Light the flame and rise' Claasen has a message for children growing up in poverty: 'There is something good in each of you. Light the flame and rise.' He grew up on a farm called Papkuilvlei, near Redelinhuys. He has five brothers and a sister. He remembers walking 15km barefoot to Redelinghuys Primary until Grade 7. 'I didn't know shoes up until Grade 7. During the cold winter morning with the dew on the grass, I had to urinate on my feet to keep them warm. When I started at Noordhoek Primary, I received my first pair of school shoes from my sister-in-law's brother. As a child of a poor farmworker, it was always his dream to make something better of his life. He told his dad he wanted to be an advocate one day. 'That was because I saw a farmer beat up farmworkers in front of me, put their furniture along the street, and no one lifted a finger, not even the police,' he explained. While his school career was cut short, during the 1990s he became involved in the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and, according to Claasen, Cosatu's former Western Cape secretary Tony Ehrenreich was an instrumental guide. Having worked for years helping farmworkers and victims of crime, in December 2022 Claasen obtained his advanced diploma in public administration from the University of the Western Cape (UWC). He is immensely grateful for his mentor, Dr Llewellyn MacMaster, now at the Cape Crime Crisis Coalition, who inspired Claasen to never give up hope and brought him sandwiches at UWC. MacMaster told Daily Maverick: 'One cannot adequately summarise the contribution in terms of quality of an activist like Billy in words. It is incredibly difficult to fight for justice and human dignity for such a long time, not for yourself but for other people.' Claasen is currently keeping a close eye on the case of a six-year-old boy from the West Coast town of Lutzville who suffered fractures to both his legs after allegedly being run over by a 70-year-old man in September 2024. The most recent scene Claasen attended was in Slanghoek, Rawnsonville, where a 24-year-old woman, Jolene van Wyk, had been swept away by a swollen river on Saturday, 7 June. Although Claasen was satisfied with the search efforts to retrieve the body, he said the case serves as an important reminder to authorities: 'Please treat these poor farmworkers with the same urgency and respect as you would affluent foreigners injured at Table Mountain or other areas.' DM
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Search for missing 24-year-old Rawsonville woman ends in tragedy
A body believed to be that of 24-year-old Jolene van Wyk, who was swept away in a stream during heavy rainfall, has been found in Rawsonville. Image: Supplied A body, believed to be that of a 24-year-old farm worker who was swept away in a stream while attempting to cross it following heavy rainfall in Rawsonville in the Breede River Municipality, has been found. According to police spokesperson, Malcolm Pojie, the woman, identified as Jolene van Wyk, attempted to cross the river in Slanghoek with her 19-year-old sister when she was swept away on Saturday. 'The search for the missing 24-year-old Jolene van Wyk of Rawsonville who was swept down river at a low water bridge in Slanghoek on June 7 at about 2.15pm resumed (yesterday) morning. Jolene van Wyk, was swept away while crossing a river in Rawsonville on Saturday. Image: Billy Claasen Facebook Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading "Worcester opened a missing person report. 'Information suggests that the missing person and her sister crossed the river via the low water bridge as they were walking from Rawsonville towards the Breerivier side when a strong stream swept them off their feet following heavy rainfall in the area the previous day. 'The younger sister managed to reach safety, but her sister was swept away by the strong and rough stream. 'Emergency personnel and police were dispatched to the scene, but rough conditions hampered their efforts." Police spokesperson, Captain FC Van Wyk confirmed that the search was called off on Monday afternoon after the body of the woman was found. "The search continued, and at 4.15pm, the body that matched the description of the missing person, was found approximately 2 km from where she was swept away. The formal identification is arranged for tomorrow (Tuesday) morning," he said. "Members of Department of Social Development was spoken to who arranged counselling for the family members." Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation executive director, Billy Claasen, said the family also suffered a tragedy after the woman's mother died a few months ago. He said he was concerned about the delay of the K9 unit during the search for Van Wyk. 'The police and emergency services have been on scene since (Sunday) and have resumed the search again. "However, they temporarily cancelled it at 11am because the water was still very high. 'I spoke to the father and the sister. It is also exactly four months ago that they lost their mother. "The sister is severely traumatised and can hardly speak. 'I have now regular (contact) with social services that they send counselors out to the farm. 'I also want to know why the police's special dog wasn't there yet and why the special drone wasn't flown. They mentioned to me that the drone couldn't fly yesterday because of too much rain. 'It looks like our people's lives are not important enough. On Monday night Claasen confirmed with Cape Argus that van Wyk's body was retrieved 2km down the river. Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel. Cape Argus
News24
03-06-2025
- General
- News24
Body found in dam during search for missing Western Cape teen
While searching for a missing 16-year-old girl on Monday, Western Cape police officers recovered a body from a dam in Paarl. According to police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi, the body has not been identified. 'An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death. Paarl police registered a murder for further investigation. The suspects are yet to be arrested,' he said. The discovery was made during a community-led search for Chanelle Plaatjies, who was last seen on 14 May. Rural and Farmworkers and Development Organisation spokesperson Billy Claasen believes the body, which was found near the Allandale Correctional Centre, could be that of the missing teen. But Swartbooi said: 'The circumstances surrounding the missing persons enquiry registered with Paarl East police on Wednesday for further investigation are still under investigation.' In February, the body of 17-year-old Ongeziwe Kamlana was found burnt beyond recognition in Kuils River. A 28-year-old man was arrested in connection with her murder The Gugulethu matric pupil's body was found two weeks after she was reported missing by her mother. She was last seen on her way home from extra classes at Fezeka Secondary School on 17 February.
