Students by day, sex workers by night?

Let’s make love, s*x, open till 3.00am.  These are some of the words written in a note which Mongezi Nombewu recently found under his door.

“When I woke up in the morning and there was note under my door with a phone number on it, I was shocked by what was written on it,” said Nombewu, who lives at Laborie Village.

Laborie Village is a residential complex in Auckland Park and is popular among students for its proximity to several university campuses. Units are privately owned and rented out by agents and in some cases, investors.

It appears one of the units has been unknowingly rented out to women suspected of moonlighting as sex workers, and the complex has earned itself a distasteful nickname – Lahori, which translates as ‘a place for whores’. “I have never heard of this term being used before,” complex building supervisor Janet English said. English admitted to knowing about two girls suspected of prostitution. “To my understanding these girls do it outside the boundaries of the property. There is nothing I can do about it,” English explained. “I am very shocked to hear this. I thought there were some girls sneaking around but I did not know it was a business.”

A security guard at the complex, Costa Mavundla, said he has been suspicious of two girls in the complex. “I have seen this [behaviour], with the way they dress and the time at which they go to ‘work’. You can tell that something fishy is going on here.”

Several students who reside in the complex are aware of the prostitution practiced by their fellow residents in and around the area. “A friend of mine is in the business and has her [own] reasons for why she is doing it,” said one resident, who asked to remain anonymous. Anonymous wanted to make it clear that she was initially against her friend’s behaviour, but now she understands her reasons. “There are lot of pressures in Joburg and we have to do what we have to do…my friend has to take care of her family.” Anonymous said it would be unfair to judge people without understanding their situation.

Kedi Kgatlhane of Rindi Estates, an agency which manages a number of units in the complex, said the agency screens all prospective residents. “We do not give minors or unemployed people accommodation because it will put pressure on the students and they could end up turning to prostitution or other social ills, [in order] to pay rent,” she explained. Kgatlhane urged other estate agencies to follow protocol when renting out apartments, to ensure that students do not engage in prostitution within Laborie Village’s walls.

“This issue has to be resolved immediately because with diseases nowadays our children are at risk,” said Thembi Ndlela, an angry parent whose son lives at Laborie Village.

English said she will investigate the allegations and take the necessary measures to ensure that the alleged prostitutes are evicted from the property.

UPDATE 12 May 2014: Read the two follow up stories here and here.