Several houses in Dulibadzimu suburb in Beit Bridge are fast being turned into brothels to cater for the ever-ballooning number of prostitutes descending on the border town.

Residents who recently spoke to Limpopo Mirror expressed dismay over the latest development, saying it created an accommodation crisis in the border town. "This issue of turning houses into brothels is affecting residents negatively and you will find that genuine home seekers are now failing to secure decent accommodation, while some lodgers are being evicted willy-nilly by landlords to pave way for commercial sex workers," said an angry Dulibadzimu resident, who declined to be named.

Commercial sex workers, most of whom are from other local towns and as far as Zambia, have descended on the border town where they target truck drivers. They make exorbitant daily rent payments, unlike regular tenants who pay on a monthly basis.

At one brothel situated near the Dulibadzimu bus terminus, Mirror observed that six prostitutes lived crammed in a single room, with each paying between R30 and R50 per night. This means the landlord is assured of raking in R9 000 per room per month. However, a normal monthly rental for a house in Dulibadzimu ranges between R400 and R500.

Further investigations by this paper revealed that the entire area surrounding the bus terminus has of late been turned into a red-light district, where several young women parade their half-naked bodies. The latest development has sparked an outcry from residents who are now calling for the local authorities to take stern action against brothel operators. "These brothels are a haven for criminals and we therefore urge the council and police to intensify the fight against such a practice, which is also a sign of moral decadence," said Mr Lyton Mbedzi, a local resident.

Another resident, Ms Martha Muleya, echoed his sentiments: "This practice is destroying the moral fibre of our town. The authorities must help us deal with this situation, so that our children are not exposed to such immorality. We are really worried about this development, which is certainly a strange phenomenon."

One of the brothel operators, who identified herself as Mary Muleya, described her business as flourishing. She also confirmed that tenants occupying most of the houses situated near the bus terminus were prostitutes. "We are aware that this kind of business is illegal, but we are living in difficult economic times and surely one has to capi-talise on every situation to make money; this line of business is certainly proving to be a money spinner," she said.

Another brothel operator, who had initially refused to talk to us, said: "No one has the right to descend on my lodgers, whether they are prostitutes or not."

The town secretary, Dr Sipho Singo, expressed concern over the mushrooming of brothels, saying they painted a poor picture of the border town.

According to the Urban Councils Act, local authorities are empowered to make by-laws that prohibit the utilisation of any land or building in a manner that interferes with the convenience or comfort of neighbours or in the amenities of the locality. "It is illegal to operate a brothel and therefore those who are doing so are violating a section of the Urban Councils Act, which zones areas into different uses and categories.

“We are saying this practice of changing the use of a house into a brothel is also worsening the problem of accommodation in Beit Bridge. Socially, it is also a menace, which should be condemned in the strongest terms and therefore we will not allow this to continue happening," said Singo. He also expressed concern over the sprouting of shacks and illegal structures, particularly in Dulibadzimu, saying they harboured criminal elements.

During a recent full council meeting, the Beit Bridge Town Council passed a resolution to demolish illegal structures and shacks, most of which were used as havens for criminal activities. Singo said the decision to destroy illegal structures was in line with the Urban Councils Act, which stipulates that shacks be destroyed at any convenient time after a notice has been issued.

A man from Tshapfutshe village was recently stabbed fatally with a knife at a brothel, following an alleged dispute over a woman.

According to recent national statistics, Beit Bridge is rated among the worst affected areas in terms of HIV and Aids cases and has the highest number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases.

In a bid to reduce HIV and Aids-related diseases, a number of non-governmental organisations such as Corridors of Hope, Batsirai Group and the International Organisation for Migration have since established clinics and counselling centres in the border town where people are educated on the dangers of engaging in casual sex.

The chief medical officer for Beit Bridge, Dr Nyasha Masuka, said Beit Bridge town alone had more than 800 reported cases of HIV and Aids from January to September this year. "However, we believe the figures are higher because of unreported cases in the district and the demand for ARVs is also on the increase," he said.

Beit Bridge District Hospital was recently chosen to undertake the ARVs programme to administer the essential life-prolonging drugs, following a recommendation by the World Health Or-ganisation (WHO).

An on-site opportunistic infections clinic, which caters for HIV and Aids patients, is now operating at the hospital.