Rooms/hour follow ladies who love/hour

Unlicensed bed & breakfast establishments offering hourly rates have followed the prostitutes into Glenwood, in Durban.

At a community meeting this week, called to discuss the growing number of women plying their trade in the streets of the suburb, Umbilo Community Policing Forum chairman Ben Madokwe said: "There are a number of these B&Bs. We cannot say that all are brothels but we are aware of those near which you will always find sex workers."

Ward councillor Nicole Graham said there were at least five establishments that were operating illegally.

Graham said they were "a haven for sex workers and our concern is that they are associated with crime. These illegal B&Bs are a big issue for the community."

Heather Rorick, of the Bulwer Community Safety Forum, said the establishments offered clients a "space for a short period of time to do what they want to".

"We see cars from Pinetown, Tongaat and Kloof ," she said.

Glenwood resident Graham Muller said that he forked out R8000 for a lawyer to lodge a complaint about a suspected brothel. The municipality dismissed it.

At the community meeting, Durban city manager Musa Gumede said he was "aware of the challenges".