City official in sex and gun scandal
Mayoral coordinator in tangle with prostitute
ASENIOR official in Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Ben Fihla’s office is ensnared in a scandal involving a prostitute, a missing cellphone and gunfire. Mayoral rapid response team coordinator Zonile Ndoni was arrested on Sunday night after he allegedly fired shots in Commercial Road, Sidwell, during an argument with a hooker over his missing cellphone.
Although Ndoni denies the claims and says he was never arrested, the sex worker has confirmed it.
“I know nothing about a case. I was never arrested on Sunday night. In fact, I would open a case because this is defamation,” Ndoni said yesterday.
Police spokesman Warrant Officer Alwin Labans said Ndoni allegedly picked up the prostitute in Commercial Road at about 10pm on Sunday and drove to Bennett Street “where they did their business”.
She had then walked back to her usual spot. At that point, Ndoni realised his phone was missing.
“He drove back to where she was standing and asked where his cell- phone was and she denied taking it. He then fired shots,” Labans said.
Mayoral chief of staff Bheza Ntshona said Ndoni had told him that he appeared in court on Monday for discharging a firearm.
Ntshona said he had also been told by staff that Ndoni claimed to have given a lift to a woman and a child on Sunday night while driving back to the office.
After dropping off the pair at a block of flats he saw that his phone was missing. He went back to the flats but could not find her.
“He told me he went with the police to find the woman and that a security guard even confirmed to the police that he had dropped off the woman and little girl. They couldn’t find her,” Ntshona said.
“He said he had gone back on his own later and saw her walking with a man. He stopped and asked her where his phone was and she started to run.
“He shot in the air to stop them, but that drew the attention of the security,” Ntshona said.
Asked if he had been told that Ndoni was, in fact, with a prostitute, Ntshona said he had not heard about that. Police spokeswoman Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said a case of attempted murder was opened at the Algoa Park police station.
She said Ndoni would have appeared at the New Brighton Magistrate’s Court yesterday. National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Tshepo Ndwalaza said he had not received details of the case by last night and would only confirm them today.
Ndoni’s wife, when asked if she knew about the case, said: “Who are you? Why are you asking these questions? Why don’t you ask him?”
Atlas Security manager Monty Montgomery said his staff were the first on the scene.
“KFC is my client and so when there were shots [fired] across the road from KFC, the staff pressed the panic button and we got there quickly because we were in the area.
“The story my guys were given is that he gave a lift to a woman of the night and then confronted her when he couldn’t find his phone.
“Her pimp was on the corner and a group of about five or six came and that’s when he fired shots.
“It’s not clear how he shot, whether it was in the air or not, but no one was injured,” Montgomery said.
The sex worker, who asked not to be named, said the incident had left her completely shaken.
“He picked me up in Sutton Road and we went to Bennett Street.
“Me and the guy did our business and when we were finished I said I’d walk back to my spot because he was drinking and driving.”
Asked if the man had paid her, she said: “Yes, he paid me and everything was fine.
“I walked back to my friend and we were walking to get something to eat when I saw his vehicle and even waved at him. All of a sudden, he got out of his vehicle and asked me for his phone.
“I told him I did not have it and he could search me. He started firing shots and then held a gun against my head,” she said.
“Some guys came to my rescue and a nice man from Atlas Security came to help me.”
Asked if her client had told her his name, she said: “Obviously, they don’t tell us their real names, but I heard afterwards that he works at the municipality and is some head of security.”
The woman said she had laid a complaint at the Algoa Park police station.