Business owners around the old Geen & Richards building say that the brothel on the second floor is no secret to them.

The Middelburg Observer reported about activities in the building last week after obtaining video material and eyewitness accounts of how women who rent rooms on the first floor sell themselves for sex.

One woman, who works close to the building, said that the huge glass window at the entrance of the building, were broken over the weekend.

“I don’t know who or why it was broken. Maybe it was another fight, or maybe someone was angry.”

Business owners say that they have complained about the scantily clad women, the fights and the obvious activities to the building owner numerous times.

A mobile clinic comes around at regular intervals to provide a much needed medical service to the girls and supply them with condoms.

Another woman says that she has complained to the building owner about the prostitutes on numerous occasions.

“They often fight. Sometimes someone pays with fake notes or the wrong amount and then all hell breaks loose. Just last week there was a fight and the police came and arre

sted two men. There is no way that the owner did not know about this because I myself has phoned him to complain about what is happening there.”

The business owners who were willing to talk to the Middelburg Observer had more or less the same story: Men coming and going, regular fights, police raids and women walking around with very little clothing, off to buy liquor or to visit the mobile clinic when it is parked in front of the door.

• A businessman from the industrial area told of how one of his workers who lives in Gauteng has spoken about “going up the stairs” when the need for a woman arises.

“After I read the article, everything suddenly clicked.”

• The Department of Health did not reply to media inquiries about how often and since when their mobile clinic visits the building, before deadline

.• Deon Strydom, the man in charge of the letting of the rooms and brother to the owner of the building, Gerhard Strydom, threatened with High Court action against the Middelburg Observer to obtain the names of our informants.

Mr Strydom denied knowledge of the reported activities and said that the one or two women who might be seen walking around without decent clothing will be dealt with.

“I speak to the caretaker at least 15 times a day to find out if everything is okay,” he said.

• All of the people interviewed requested to stay anonymous out of fear of retaliation.