Madam in court over trafficking of children

AN alleged Cape Town brothel owner accused of blackmailing clients was charged yesterday with trafficking children as sex workers.

Shantel Bridger and five others were charged in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court with racketeering‚ human trafficking‚ extortion‚ car theft‚ housebreaking‚ robbery‚ fraud and money laundering.

Bridger appeared perturbed when her former domestic worker appeared in the dock alongside her. Her long blonde hair flicked from side to side as she tried to catch Babalwa Nzogqwana’s attention.

Nzogqwana, arrested in a sting operation by the Hawks, subsequently entered into a plea bargain with the state and will testify against Bridger.

She allegedly took over the management of brothels in Bellville after Bridger was arrested in February when a team including the Hawks‚ crime intelligence and metro police raided several addresses in Parklands‚ Table View and Milnerton.

Two of her fellow accused‚ Fareez Allie and Achmat Toffa – thought to be the “muscle” in the syndicate – were accused of murdering Bruno Bronn‚ owner of Sea Point’s Bronx nightclub, but were acquitted in 2014.

Club bouncer Willem Coetzer was convicted of the killing, but maintained that Allie and Toffa had orchestrated it.

Bridger and her co-accused are thought to have preyed on clients by threatening to post video footage of their escapades with sex workers on social media.

They are also accused of keeping sex workers on a drug regime and using physical violence to “discipline” them.

At least two minors are thought to have been involved in the syndicate as sex workers.

Sources said Bridger had a vicious reputation among sex workers and would beat them or prevent them from working if they “did something wrong”.

She is reported to have leased upmarket flats in Sea Point‚ Strand and Bellville‚ where clients were filmed having sex.

Prosecutor Helene Booysen said at least five more arrests were expected in the first human trafficking case to be prosecuted in the Western Cape under the Prevention of Organised Crimes Act.

The case was adjourned until August 18.