Campers told: Whites only
2003-02-24 23:37
Pretoria - A group of six young people had to leave a camping site in Broederstroom near Hartebeespoort dam in a hurry on Sunday morning after the owner allegedly ordered them to leave because they had a Coloured person with them.
The friend was only told on Monday why they had to leave the Broederstroom Picnic Resort in such a rush. Roxy George, 19, was in the bathroom when Bertus Pretorius suggested that the group should leave after first determining whether they had any non-whites with them.
"It spoiled a perfect weekend. I felt so bad and we had such a good time. We did not really know how to tell Roxy," Sonika Stokbeck, 31, said. She filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission (HRC) on Monday.
"It is unfair. We only wanted to fish and relax a little," another member of the group, Cheryl Clarke, 23, said.
Stokbeck, Clarke, George, Brendan Mellors, 19, Chris Ackerman, 24, and Denise Wood, 19, apparently neglected to read the notice board at the entrance to the resort.
"We arrived at about 17:00 on Saturday afternoon. There was nobody at the gate and we set up camp. A man later came to fetch the camping fee of R50 from us and gave us a receipt," Clarke said.
"The next morning, the man wanted to know whether there were any non-whites with us. When we said yes, he asked us to leave. He returned the money and said the resort was private property."
"That's the way it is. We don't allow it. It is my place, I am the boss and I have nothing to do with the law," the man allegedly told the group.