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Die Antwoord’s adopted son accuses them of child abuse

Social welfare are investigating the allegations of physical and sexual abuse, and slavery

Duo, Die Antwoord have been accused of child abuse by their adopted son.

Their son, 20-year-old, Gabriel ‘Tokkie’ du Preez, was adopted by Yolandi Visser (aka Anri du Toit) and Ninja (aka Watkin Jones) when he was nine years old.

The social welfare team of Cape Town have visited du Toit and Jones and social workers

Die Antwoord also adopted Du Preez’ sister who is 14-years-old and now lives with another family still under the duo’s custody.

The allegations against the South African group first came about after du Preez released a video interview with the former filmmakers for the band, Ben Jay Crossman.

South African news outlet, News24 has reported that du Preez accused the duo of “adopt[ing] me to be a slave”. “They made me feel like I was actually a slave,” he said. “They made me feel like I wasn’t really being loved.”

Suffering from a rare skin disease known as hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, du Preez added: “They made me believe I was the devil. They made me swear more and made me believe that I could burn people in hell and that I am the king of hell. They told me that I could bring darkness upon the world.”

As well as this, he mentions how they forced him and his sister to undress in front of them when they were given new clothes and that if they refused to do so, they would be punished.

He continued by adding that his sister no longer wants to visit them as they ask her to get naked.

“Last December, Ninja and them apparently took my sister into a sauna and everyone was naked in the sauna and wanted my sister to get naked too,” he said.

“Why does Ninja want to see my sister naked? She is so small. It is pretty weird, it feels like a pervy vibe to me that Ninja wants to have with my sister. Every time when he phones the family, they ask if my sister is pregnant yet and that is not going to happen, not on my watch.”

Du Preez claims that at the age of 13-years-old, du Toit asked him to spend time with her in a room at a house party while she was naked.

He says: “Yolandi called me into the room, she was naked and vomiting all over,” he said. “She was laying with her legs open like the [sex] doll I had in my room.

“The worst part was seeing my supposed-to-be mother or adopted mother being naked in a room, drunk […] experiencing my mother being drunk, naked and wanting me to spend time with her in the room while she was naked. I found that very disturbing.”

In a video interview with the band’s filmmaker, Crossman, Du Preez revealed that he stabbed his older brother three times, causing him to go to hospital in which Jones and du Toit “congratulate” him.

“They were like, ‘Hey, good job man, I didn’t actually know you were going to be a man. I didn’t actually expect you to stab your brother, that’s amazing’,” he said.

According to CRACK Die Antwoord’s agent Scumeck Sabottka denied the allegations and said, “Die Antwoord don’t agree with Tokkie’s statements.”

If you have been impacted by any of the themes covered in this article, visit Child Helpline. In the UK, the 24-hour NSPCC helpline for child abuse is 0808 800 5000.

Becky Buckle is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter