MBOMBELA – The Hawks in Mpumalanga appears to be unaware that its colleagues at head office consider the Chinese-owned nail salon at Sonpark to be a brothel fronting as a centre for human trafficking.

National Haws spokesman, Brig Hangwane Mulaudzi told Lowvelder on Thursday that, after a thorough investigation, they had uncovered that Jin Lu Chinese Massage and Beauty Salon was a front for a brothel from where human trafficking in the area is driven.

It belonged to self-professed rhino poacher, Mr Jianguang Guan who has claimed close links with state security minister, Mr David Mahlobo in the past.

Yet Hawks investigating officer for human trafficking in Mpumalanga, Mr David Mdaka, knew nothing about the alleged brothel. “I have not been working on that case,” said Mdaka.

Despite Mulaudzi’s claims that the salon is closed, it is still operational. The salon in the Khayalami Boutique Hotel (of which the Hawks make no mention) is closed according to a hotel spokesman. Mulaudzi also claimed last week that the Hawks was not investigating a case against Mahlobo as there was no criminal evidence against him.

The DA disagreed, arguing that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate should investigate the Hawks’ failure to probe the minister’s alleged links to Guan.

DA chief whip in parliament, Mr John Steenhuizen, told Lowvelder, “We will be putting in a request to them to do just that. This is a despicable state of double standards. It shows that when it comes to investigations into criminal activities there are two different laws. One for those close to Zuma and one for the rest of us.

“This is a cover-up to protect Mahlobo. Far more was done at that salon than mani’s and pedi’s. The fact that Guan was allowed to disappear, is extremely worrying. He slipped through the net. What is also worrying, is that the exact people the Minister should have avoided, criminal syndicates, he was fraternising with.”

Mr Thabo Mokgala, spokesman for home affairs, confirmed that the department’s raid on the Sonpark salon on November 24, 2016 showed that four of the manicurists and masseuses were in the country illegally. They were registered as “wood carvers” on their working visas.

“They were then issued a 30-day notification. We detained them at the Nglandela Detention Centre in Krugersdorp before we deported them.”

He added that, if in the normal course of work, inspectors found other new employees were in the salon illegally, they would also be deported.

Lowvelder forwarded a copy of Guan’s passport to home affairs, but Mokgala could not confirm if he had left the country using it. At present the salon still seemed to be closed, according to the Hawks’ spokesman, but Lowvelder found it was business as usual just behind glass doors which had been covered up.

With this visit there were three manicurists working on two customers appluing gel nails. Two other staff members employed to do decorating at the salon, agreed that massages can be booked as well and were eager to assist in arranging these.

The landlord, Mr Kobus Jacobs, said there is a new lease in place with a former manager of the salon, a South African citizen of Chinese descent, who also runs the sushi restaurant in the same complex. She was closely associated with Guan as a business partner and they were regualry seen together in Mbombela.

Mr Brian Dube, spokesman for Mahlobo, said the minister had laid a complaint about Guan’s allegations of his close links with him, with the provincial police.

“He said to them: I want you to investigate this,” said Dube. He confirmed that the request has been referred to the Hawks national office.

“We will give all our assistance in this inquiry,” Dube confirmed. He added the minister had not done anything criminal that merits an investigation.

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