Tshwane bylaw enforcements have led to the shutdown of Ipi Ntombi, an establishment in the Pretoria CBD alleged to be operating unlawfully as both a bar and a brothel.
The operation was led by various teams under the oversight of Executive Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya, who revealed that the authorities made a number of disturbing discoveries.
Moya shared images and videos from the scene on social media, claiming that cash was found hidden under beds and that the venue was running without proper compliance.
“We have a serious lawlessness issue in this country,” Moya said.
“There are 41 rooms here, each with keys, and we confiscated everything during the raid. These are Chinese nationals who profit from the Ipi Ntombi brothel. They charge young women R1 000 per week to rent a room and take a portion of the income earned by the sex workers we found occupying the premises.”
She added that the rooms were being used as “workstations” and stressed that enforcement action was necessary to restore order in the inner city.
“This establishment has long violated our laws. Today, we brought in reinforcements to ensure the full might of the law deals decisively with the property owners,” Moya said.
“We found many young women who occupy this establishment. Including dozens of men who were stationed downstairs drinking at 2pm in the afternoon. We are dealing with lawlessness in the inner city. A show of our strength is the closure of Ipi Ntombi.”
City of Tshwane Mayoral Committee Member for Environment and Agriculture Management, Obakeng Ramabodu, also confirmed the closure, citing persistent non-compliance.
“The City of Tshwane Mayoral Committee took decisive action against Ipi Ntombi Sports Bar in the Pretoria CBD due to ongoing disregard for municipal regulations, including unpaid waste-service debts,” Ramabodu said.
“We will not tolerate non-compliance. The city remains committed to maintaining a safe and enjoyable environment for residents and visitors. We will monitor the situation until there is full compliance.”
Saturday Star