Hawks raid Ermelo brothel, arrest Nigerian national with ‘expired asylum documents’

The Hawks in Mpumalanga conducted a raid at an alleged brothel and arrested a Nigerian national who was allegedly found with expired asylum documents.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi, the Hawks, Secunda Serious Organised Crime Investigation (SOCI), and members of the South African Police Service (Saps) Gert Sibande District Office, Ermelo Saps and officials from the Department of Home Affairs conducted the operation in Ermelo on Thursday.

The operation targeted premises allegedly being used for unlawful activities linked to commercial sexual exploitation.

During the operation, officers found six women and one man on the premises.

Preliminary investigations revealed that three of the women are Lesotho nationals, two are eSwatini nationals, and one is a South African citizen. All foreign nationals had valid passports.

Further enquiries led investigators to a 46-year-old Nigerian national who allegedly operated from the property.

“Information gathered during the operation further suggests that the premises were allegedly being used for activities linked to the contravention of provisions of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act,” said Nkosi.

The Nigerian national was arrested and charged as he was allegedly renting out rooms to the women.

Investigations are continuing to determine the full extent of the alleged unlawful activities, including the possible liability of any other persons who may have knowingly facilitated, benefited from or permitted the use of the premises for criminal purposes.

The suspect is expected to make his first appearance before the Ermelo Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

Asylum seeker applications

The arrest comes amid heightened tensions in South Africa over the issue of asylum seekers.

The Director-General of the Department of Home Affairs has withdrawn the directive his office issued on 28 September regarding the intake of asylum seeker applications.

In July, the Constitutional Court ruled that refugees and asylum seekers must be given the opportunity to access processing centres, regardless of whether they entered South Africa illegally.

The case between the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town and the Minister of Home Affairs concerned the constitutionality of certain provisions of the Refugees Act relating to the asylum application process.

The Constitutional Court confirmed the Western Cape High Court’s declaration that those provisions are unconstitutional and invalid.

On 28 September, Home Affairs issued the directive regarding the intake of asylum seeker applications. On 9 October, the director-general of the department, Livhuwani Makhode, withdrew the directive. This after foreigners flooded Home Affairs offices across the country in an attempt to submit their asylum seeker applications.

The Department of Home Affairs has now proposed a phased structure registration and appointment model from next month.

Anti-illegal immigrant protests have been held nationwide, with South Africans voicing frustration.

In Soweto, residents clashed with foreign nationals, torching vehicles, while protests continue in KwaZulu-Natal.