Outrage as Joburg mayor cracks down on brothel selling government condoms
City raid uncovers 84 000 state condoms being sold in an illegal Joburg brothel.
Image: Dada Morero/ X
Johannesburg Executive Mayor Dada Morero announced that the city’s enforcement teams have successfully shut down an illegal brothel and closed a non-compliant liquor outlet. This action was taken after it was discovered that thousands of government-issued condoms were being sold at the liquor outlet.
Morero said the operation, conducted earlier on Tuesday, uncovered 84 000 packets of free Department of Health condoms at the two premises. The condoms — intended for free public distribution — were being sold illegally, in violation of public health laws in South Africa.
City raid uncovers 84 000 state condoms being sold in an illegal Joburg brothel.
Image: Dada Morero/ X
He said the city was intensifying its efforts to tackle crime by targeting the systems enabling such activities to thrive.
“The teams shut down an illegal brothel operating within the city and immediately closed a liquor business that was non-compliant with licensing regulations. They confiscated 84,000 packets of free Department of Health condoms being sold illegally at both locations, representing a clear violation of public health laws.
"We are focusing on addressing fundamental issues by dismantling the infrastructure supporting these crimes, reinforcing our commitment to law enforcement and public safety,” Morero said.
Recent brothel crackdowns in Tshwane
The Joburg raid comes as authorities in Tshwane have, in recent weeks, intensified their own operations against illegal brothels around Pretoria.
In one enforcement operation on Bloed Street, officials uncovered a building with dozens of rooms allegedly used for sex work, some reportedly occupied by undocumented women who were forced to surrender their earnings to operators.
In another case, authorities shut down Ipi Ntombi — a bar and brothel with more than 40 rooms and round-the-clock clientele. Officials described the closure as part of a wider campaign to restore order and curb the networks that fuel exploitation, including illicit liquor outlets and human-trafficking nodes.
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