Durban - Would you like a strip club in your suburb? It seems as though the residents of uMhlanga don’t.
And now a popular club boss is planning on suing the city of Durban and one of its councillors.
The man behind Teazers, Shaun Russouw, 48, says he has every right to run a strip club in upmarket uMhlanga and claims the council is determined to shut him down.
The municipality said he needs special authority and a licence to run an adult entertainment venue, neither of which he has.
Russouw acquired a property on Lagoon Drive in May last year, which was formerly the Gordon’s Pub. He used his 20 years of experience in the adult entertainment industry to transform the premises into the Diamond Grill and Lounge, and spent nearly R2 million on renovations. Two months ago he opened his strip club.
In the past two weeks, metro police have raided the premises twice and have fined him. He has also received visits from the municipality’s licensing department. He was told he does not have a licence to operate as a strip club and that there were zoning issues.
He refuses to shut the venue down as he believes he has all the necessary licences.
Now Russouw, together with his attorney Alan Weeber, plans to sue the city for loss of revenue during the raids. He plans to include the DA ward councillor for uMhlanga, Heinz de Boer, in his court action as he believes the councillor has a personal vendetta against him.
Weeber confirmed that a high court application is on the cards.
“We are considering this and are also making representations to the municipality,” he said.
Russouw argues that he has a liquor licence and a gambling licence, as well as a business licence, but he was unaware of a specific licence needed to run a strip club and that the municipality did not specify this when he opened.
He said he was also aware that De Boer received several complaints from the community opposing the strip club.
“I don’t know what all the fuss is about. I have not caused a disturbance. I think De Boer has a personal vendetta against me and is doing everything in his power to shut down the club.
“My business is no different to any other adult businesses in the area, yet I am the only one being targeted. They all have the same licences,” said Russouw.
De Boer denied he had a vendetta against Russouw and said he was merely doing his job as a councillor.
“Unhappy residents brought the strip club to my attention and said they would not tolerate it. I had to act on the complaints, therefore I asked the municipality to investigate. It is my duty to do so,” De Boer said.
He said he later found out from the city’s town planning department that Russouw did not have a proper business licence to run a strip club.
“I’m not an expert on business licences, but I know that if naked women are going to be walking around your business premises, then surely you would need special permission and a licence to run such an operation – especially when it is situated in a prime tourist spot and residential area,” said De Boer.
Thabo Mofokeng, spokesman for the eThekwini Municipality, said he was aware of Russouw’s strip club and confirmed that the business was not properly licensed.
“If you are running any place of entertainment, you need the relevant licences to do so, and this includes strip clubs. Special consent needs to be granted by the municipality,” said Mofokeng.
Russouw said the strip club operates discreetly and that “one would never know that there was a strip club in the area”. He argued that it is great for tourism and that his strong client base confirms this.
“People have misconceptions about strip clubs and this needs to be cleared up. Nobody sees what’s going on inside the premises, so how will this affect families and children on holiday?”
He said the club was very profitable and he often had international tourists visiting.
“uMhlanga is a prime tourist spot and, yes, there is a demand for a strip club in the area. I have clients who come from different parts of the world, as well as local clients. When people go on holiday, they look for this type of entertainment and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it,” he said.
Peter Rose, the chairman of Umhlanga Tourism, said the tourism community is divided over the club.
“There is a time and a place for everything. Unfortunately, uMhlanga is not the place for such a business to operate. It is a family holiday destination with many reputable timeshare establishments. A strip club will not be tolerated.
“There are many concerned parents, religious leaders and other people offended by it. I am not a narrow-minded individual, but the voices of the community should be heard when it comes to an issue like this,” said Rose.
Sunday Tribune