Update: ‘Good’ men do nothing
'The only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.' The local police office and municipality are seen as the authorities responsible for upholding the laws set to prevent a precinct or town from becoming ungovernable.
But for a year and a half, these very authorities have been sitting back, hands folded as a criminal cancer has been spreading through our town.
The Middelburg Observer has reported on the brothel in Klip Street as far back as September 2014. Thereafter two other brothels, both in Meyer Street, opened their gates.
The Green House
One of these brothels, ‘The Green House’ closed down late last year.
Before it closed its gates, a police operation saw an illegal shebeen on the premises raided and liquor being seized. Nothing was done to the sex workers. Ironically, the liquor was given back to the owners after they paid a fine. During an operation organised by the community months later, it was back to business as usual at the shebeen and the brothel.
The Green House closed down due to ‘internal’ problems when sex workers turned on their handler, Naseem Latib, with no thanks to any police involvement.
It remains quiet but common sense leads one to believe that it will not remain like that forever. Students that recently enquired about possible lodging there, were shown away and told that the brothel will soon reopen, under new management.
The Silver Gate House
‘The Silver Gate House’ is a completely different story. Rumors that the brothel keeper is armed, have made community pressure groups wary of confronting him or the girls that work for him.
Strangely enough, this house was not targeted during the above mentioned police operation at ‘The Green House’. A staggering 13 to 20 sex workers have been counted at the house entrance. Lounging on chairs and openly advertising their business to passing motorists and pedestrians.
Numerous reports of police vehicles spotted in front of the house have been received, with the latest probably the most worrying.
A police man was seen stopping at the gate, entering the yard where he was met by a man who handed him an envelope. The police officer turned and left, envelope in hand.
Previous enquiries at the Communication Office of the Middelburg police station, got the explanation that police were there to tend to a complaint received from a client alleging that he was robbed by a sex worker.
Rumors of police involvement at the house remains just that, rumors, But one cannot help but ask why such a blatant disregard for the laws of our country is allowed to happen, in plain sight and with no effort to curb the problem.
Information has it that foreigners are now sharing the property with sex workers. Young kids, white and black, are seen entering the premises regularly, renewing fears that not only prostitution and the illegal selling of liquor, but also drug dealing are now happening from the premises.
The laws and bylaws supposed to protect us
The Sexual Offences Act is simple. Prostitution is illegal. Soliciting for prostitution is illegal. Keeping a brothel is illegal.
The act even provides for the combating thereof. Section eight of the act states that a magistrate can issue a search warrant for a suspected brothel as well as a warrant of arrest for a suspected brothel keeper if the magistrate is presented with the statements of two housekeepers in the vicinity as well as that of a policeman or welfare officer.
Empty promises of in depth investigations seems almost laughable in the face of this.
Video: Prostitutes ‘fight over clients’
Video – (Not for sensitive listeners): House used by prostitutes
Sex trade booming in Middelburg
Update: Victory againts prostitution
The municipal bylaws also tackles the issue of soliciting and prostitution. It states clearly that no person is allowed to advertise their business by shouting, which is done on a daily basis by sex workers.
It states that no one is allowed to solicit for the purpose of prostitution in a public space, which the side walk sex workers sit on in Meyer Street still classifies as this.
The bylaws also state that no one is allowed to run or keep a brothel, or room for the purpose of prostitution.
The burning question
Why are the Middelburg Police and the Steve Tshwete Municipality doing nothing? Why have they done nothing in the months past?
Why do they arrest prostitutes in an informal settlement outside of town whilst climbing over the sex workers in Meyer Street to attend a complaint that a sex worker stole her client’s phone?
Something is seriously wrong with this picture and it does not take a genius to figure out what.
