The Soweto strip club owner exposed by a Sunday newspaper last week is angry – because he says his club caters to an exclusive clientele.
And, he says, it’s all because business rivals are trying to discredit him, leaking stories about him days after he appeared in court on liquor charges.
Yesterday, Melusi Jacob Nkosi, 52, showed the Saturday Star a letter from a local councillor giving him permission to ply his business.
The Mofolo Village businessman criticised the publication of pictures of strippers purporting to perform at his club.
“Yes, I run strip shows and strip teases every Thursday. Yes, the dancers end up naked at the end of their dance routines. But no one is allowed to take pictures of them using cameras or their cellphones. We have strict rules,” Nkosi, also known as “Papa Dee”, said.
He says his dancers are professional from Hillbrow Inn and the Maxime and Summit hotels in Hillbrow.
The pictures that were published, he says, were taken at another strip club in Soweto, called Ema-renkeni (taxi ranks), which had closed down four years ago.
Nkosi said this week the dancer in the picture had called him, demanding to know why her photo was linked to his pub. “She wanted to find out why her picture was used without her being informed about it.”
Nkosi is also incensed at claims that he’s running the strip club illegally.
He handed over a copy of a letter penned by ANC ward 36 councillor Gugulethu Mbatha, acknowledging that the club ran strip shows.
Mbatha said there had been no complaints from anyone in the ward regarding the club.
“Why is it then that my dance shows are labelled as illegal. No one has bothered to complain in the past. There are other strip clubs in Soweto but they don’t come under fire like I have,” Nkosi said.
He has put all the strip shows on hold while he applies for a new licence.
Late last year, police confiscated alcohol worth R17 000.
Nkosi also denied that children ever come to his pub or attended strip shows, saying the only children who come to his house were his grandchildren who are dropped off after school and fetched later by their dad.
“We sought to do something different. We noticed that Soweto was quiet on Thursdays and wanted something that would entertain the masses.”
The strip shows were dubbed ladies’ nights and he arranged for poles to be erected for dancers to use during their routines.
Nkosi said two or three women would be used for the Thursday shows which would run from 11pm on a Thursday to 1.30am on a Friday. Each woman would dance to three songs.
“They tell the DJ what music to play and they begin their dance and as soon as the song ends, they leave the stage. No one introduces them or calls out their names,” he said.
Nkosi stressed that none of the women would be allowed to be groped by the men, saying he had six bouncers to ensure that no one got up to mischief.
“We only allow our customers to place the money on stage and that is it.”
He said his club is so successful that “even white strippers have contacted me wanting to dance” at his pub.
“We would like to have them but are still waiting for a major event which they can be featured in.”
Apart from the Thursday strip shows, Nkosi also hosts bachelor parties.
“We are all about entertaining people and will continue to do so, irrespective of what anyone else tries to do to us.” - Sautrday Star