George brothel operators sentenced, ordered to compensate trafficking victims
South African national Nontobeko Mathunjwa and her Nigerian national co-accused Success Egabor and Patience Precious Abudu.
Image: Hawks
Three women have been sentenced in the Plettenberg Bay Regional Court after they were caught running a brothel in George in the Western Cape.
Nigerian nationals Patience Precious Abudu, 35, Success Egabor, 42, and South African Nontobeko Mathunjwa, 36, faced several charges, including trafficking in persons, running a brothel, and living off the proceeds of prostitution.
The trio pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against them.
This follows their arrest by members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as Hawks).
The provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani said the women were arrested between December 2023 and May 2024 by members of the Hawks’ Economic Protected Resources team (EPR) in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs for their involvement in trafficking in persons.
“It is reported that on December 16, 2023, two young girls were rescued from a brothel located in a complex in George. Upon their rescue, it was discovered that they were trafficked into South Africa. The three were then arrested and have been in custody since their arrest, up until they were sentenced,” Hani said.
The girls are Nigerian nationals.
Abudu was sentenced to a fine of R6,000 or three years imprisonment for living off earnings of prostitution, a fine of R6,000 or three years imprisonment for running a brothel, and a fine of R1,000 or six months imprisonment for contravening the Immigration Act. She was further ordered to compensate each victim R20,000.
Rgabor was sentenced to a fine of R6,000 or three years imprisonment for living off earnings of prostitution, a fine of R6,000 or three years imprisonment for running a brothel, and a fine of R1,000 or six months imprisonment for contravening the Immigration Act.
She was further ordered to pay a compensation fee to the first victim in the amount of R17,000.
Mathunjwa was sentenced to a fine of R6,000 or three years imprisonment for living off earnings of prostitution, a fine of R1,000 or six months imprisonment for running a brothel, and was ordered to pay a compensation fee to the first victim in the amount of R18,000.
The charges of trafficking in persons, debt bondage, concealment or confiscation of travel documents, benefitting from the services of a victim of trafficking, procuring prostitution, renting a structure to practice prostitution were withdrawn against the trio.
The court also ordered that Abudu and Egabor be deported back to their country.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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