Kimberley – The brothel in Groote Schuur Avenue, Royldene, has been shut down by the Hawks after the owners were arrested and appeared in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
The brothel has been operating for about two years in the upmarket suburb. The owners of the alleged brothel, Nonsukiswa Porcia Dlamini, 36, from KwaZulu-Natal, and Nontumelelo Precious Sonqishe, 32, from the Eastern Cape, made a first appearance on charges of running a brothel and conducting sexual activities.
Both the legal representative for the accused and the state prosecutor tried to prevent the media from taking photographs of the accused, who shielded their faces and escaped down the stairs into the holding cells, to avoid the glare of the cameras.
The accused will remain in custody until after Christmas after their bail application was postponed by Magistrate Riana Prinsloo to December 28.
State prosecutor Sipho Lelani on Tuesday objected to bail being granted and stated that the accused’s addresses would first have to be verified.
“Dlamini’s address is listed as Pietermaritzburg while Sonqishe provided an address in Soweto, Johannesburg.”
Legal representative for both the accused, Chwaro Kgotlagomang stated that his clients were found at their place of residence in Kimberley, where they had been staying for the past two years.
He indicated that the accused did not have any previous convictions.
“A charge was opened against Sonqishe but was withdrawn. Therefore none of my clients have any pending cases.”
Spokesman for the Hawks, Captain Philani Nkwalase, stated that the owners were arrested and the business was shut down on Monday as it was illegal to run a brothel.
“Pornographic DVDs, condoms and several cellphones that were allegedly used in communicating schedules with their clients were seized.”
He added that the premises was apparently rented from a local estate agency.
“It is not known at this stage if the owner knows about the house being turned into a brothel.
“The two women have been remanded in custody when they appeared in court on Tuesday. Their case was postponed to December 28 for a formal bail application.”
Up until this week, neighbours in the area were still complaining about high volumes of traffic, clients that are visiting the house at all hours of the day and night and dissatisfaction over immoral activities that were taking place in their street.
“Things did not change after the police visited the house last year. The law enforcement agencies spent most of the day at the house on Monday,” one neighbour said.
During their last visit in April 2015, items including vibrators, cellphones, cash and flavoured condoms were confiscated.
Last year three women, between the ages of 22 and 30, were found to be employed as sex workers at the house at a rate of R350 for half an hour, R450 for a full hour and R1 900 for “all night long”.
An employee at the house, on Tuesday indicated that “the ladies of the night had gone on leave for the festive period”.
“We are closed from this week until January 7. The prices start from R300 and for a whole night we charge R1 500. The ladies can also be booked out for the evening at an hourly rate.”
She added that the ladies rented the rooms for R300 each that included the use of the room, including a double bed, full use of the bathroom and kitchen, cleaning services and a cooked meal in the evenings.
“We are quite busy and all sorts of clients of all races come here on a daily basis. If the business is closed down, the three ladies that work here will be unemployed.”