The well-known braai master, Jan Braai, came under fire after a video surfaced alleging that he only handed out free boerewors rolls to white shoppers at an event held at Willowbridge Shopping Centre in Tyger Valley on Saturday.
Story Summary:
- Jan Braai was accused of ignoring people of colour at a boerewors giveaway at Willowbridge Shopping Centre in Tyger Valley.
- The incident sparked outrage on social media, with many calling the behaviour discriminatory.
- Jan Braai and Food Lover’s Market have released a joint statement refuting the allegations and explaining their side of the story.
Jan Braai accused of racism at boerewors giveaway event
The incident, tied to Heritage Day celebrations, quickly gained traction on social media, with accusations of racism leading to widespread criticism.
In the video, which has since been removed by Food Lover’s Market, a man of colour is seen waiting for Jan Braai, whose real name is Jan Scannell, to acknowledge him.
This sparked claims that the event was discriminatory and that people of colour were ignored during the boerewors giveaway.
The video went viral, and many expressed their outrage online, with some calling the behaviour “micro-aggressive” and “exclusionary.”
Here’s what he said in response
In response to the allegations, Jan Braai and Food Lover’s Market released a joint statement dismissing the claims as baseless and explaining that the video was not a true reflection of the event.
The statement clarified that everyone present was offered boerewors rolls and that no one was intentionally excluded.
“We enjoyed a lovely day out at our Willowbridge store, giving customers a taste of the Jan Braai Kerriewors. Shoppers, from all walks of life, had great fun sampling delicious free boeries,” the statement read.
Jan Braai and Food Lovers stressed that the video in question represented a “small snapshot of the day” and was not indicative of how the event unfolded.
“This allegation is based on an uncharitable interpretation of a single video,” they said.
They also explained their decision to remove the video from social media, saying:
“We removed the original video because it was a poor reflection of just how successful and inclusive the day was.”
CCTV camera showing Jan Braai handing out boerewors rolls to several people, including the man who sparked the outrage, has since surfaced online.
