Rubgy player Duane Vermeulen, singer Bobby van Jaarsveld and their wives pose alongside Steve Hofmeyr | Image: Instagram
Deputy captain of the Springboks and Blue Bulls player Duane Vermeulen has come under fire for appearing in an image alongside controversial Afrikaans singer Steve Hofmeyr.
Hofmeyr has dominated headlines over the last week after various sponsors such as MTN and Emerald Resort and Casino in Vanderbijlpark pulled out of events based on the fact that he was included in the lineup.
The Afrikaans singer caused outrage after he revisited an old tweet of his in which he stated that black people were “the architects of apartheid.”
He compounded the situation by commenting on the backlash and calling it “barbaric unrest control.”
Vermeulen’s picture was initially highlighted by journalist Kate Nokwe and later amplified by Twitter user @eloquenttash.
And was subsequently picked up by other Tweeps such as Mayihlome Tshwete who denounced Vermeulen and expressed their disappointment in him.
Update, 24 May: Vermeulen has said he did not post the photo on Twitter, and therefore could not have removed it. The image was posted on his Instagram account and currently still exists there.
An earlier version of this article reported as fact the incorrect allegation that he had posted the photo in question to Twitter and then deleted it.
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