The victims of the alleged 'whipping for loans game say they had to keep up pretense to put food on the table, though it was humiliating.

The now, former employees say what started as a soft game later turned into serious spankings with sticks.
They spoke to nbc News during the demonstration led by Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) against Petroport Kavango Service Station's owner Mike Du Preez.

One of the victims, Jacob Willem said the person is desperate for work; you are desperate to put bread on the table, so the abuse started, it got worse, but for some reason, you start getting a mental block when you get abused like that, you became like a dog. You are just as loyal as a dog is to the owner.

Another victim said it has been going on for a year, every day when you come there, he asks you, "What can I call you today? Can I call you "blackass" or "kaffery" choose which name you prefer today.

They dismissed claims made by Du Preez that the beatings were part of a game in which he also received similar punishment.

Du Preez is seen in the video that went viral on social media, whipping his workers in an office, an action that has received wide condemnation.

Willem has since opened a criminal case against his former employer.

"The owner is paying the people peanuts, the people start to feel the pinch of the economy what do they do, they now need to resort to them being beaten. What we are saying is that if we want an equal and fair society and that's what we pride ourselves on in our constitution, but in practice that's not what's happening, slavery is still in existence today, but the only thing we have done with slavery is give it a modern name where we now have this thing called workers," says NEFF Commissar & Activist, Michael Amushelelo.

The Minister of Labour and Industrial Relations, Uutoni Nujoma, has also ordered an investigation into the allegations.

Du Preez has apologized to the victims and the nation, pledging his cooperation in the ongoing investigations.