Prostitutes, cops stun owners of building

Published Jul 6, 2012

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The new owners of a Joburg CBD building were threatened with automatic weapons when trying to inspect their new property and discovered that the six-storey building had been hijacked and turned into a brothel.

And even after Crimson Clover Trading confronted police about the problem, they were told they would need a court order before police can dismantle the prostitution ring.

Ulrich Roux, of BDK Attorneys, who represents the trading company, said the building had been bought for about R4 million and was to be turned into upscale apartments.

But this was before the company’s director, Halekopane Matsipa, and his team visited the building and discovered that a group of more than 20 prostitutes had moved in.

He described the state of the building as “unliveable”. There was just a single, filthy mattress on each level and discarded condom wrappers littered the floors.

Roux said an internal investigation had revealed that the women in the building charged R30 for their “services”.

He said it was also alleged that part of this money is used to pay off police and any other security officials to allow the women to conduct their business.

Matsipa’s team was told on June 16 that without a court order, the police would not be willing to empty the building. “(The police then) ordered us to leave the property,” he added.

Provincial police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini urged BDK Attorneys to file a complaint against the officers involved.

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The Star

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