The City of Tshwane has arrested four municipal officials and four Chinese nationals following the discovery of a prostitution ring operating in the Pretoria CBD.
The arrests were made during a late-night raid on Tuesday, which also saw 30 other individuals taken into custody as part of the city’s ongoing crackdown on criminal activity in the capital.
Tshwane Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya said the operation forms part of broader efforts to restore law and order in the city.
“This is one of the ways we’re going to reclaim the city,” Moya said. “What has become clear is that some of our own officials are working with these syndicates. They’ve admitted to taking R5,000 payments so we have a serious internal problem.”
Moya confirmed that the implicated officials will face criminal charges for their alleged involvement in the prostitution ring and for employing undocumented foreign nationals.
The City of Tshwane has pledged to intensify its internal investigations to root out corruption and hold those responsible to account.