More than 20 women and girls as young as 16 were freed from slave-like conditions at the brothel they worked as prostitutes in Klerksdorp, North West, on Wednesday. The group told Sowetan they were relieved to have finally been freed from the control of the foreign nationals they worked for. They were freed after their rooms, some as small as toilets, were raided by residents who were angry at the Nigerians who allegedly killed a taxi driver in the area.
The deceased was stabbed to death on Sunday after he allegedly fought with a pimp who had refused to give back his cellphone. He had apparently forgotten the cellphone at the brothel where he had allegedly paid to have sex with a prostitute.
His killing led to taxi operators in the area retaliating by burning houses leased out to foreign nationals and hunting down those suspected of dealing in drugs. Rethabile Jacobs, 24, started working as a prostitute two months ago. She was seeking a way to raise her three-year-old child. She said a Nigerian pimp gave her drugs to smoke and then ordered her to go look for potential clients. Once she managed to find a client, she would head back to the brothel for the client to make a payment to her pimp.
Jacobs said their job did not end there. They were also instructed by their pimps to rob their clients. All they do is to supply us with the drugs.
Chezzlyn Bock from Alabama township in Klerksdorp said the pimps were also beating them up when they wanted to go home. However, Nigerian national Moore Udozi said they could not be chased out of SA just because they sold drugs and operated brothels.
