While an Eastern Cape deputy school principal facing charges linked to an alleged brothel in East London contested her denial of bail in the Makhanda high court, the provincial Hawks raided her lodge.
Vuyokazi Gana’s appeal was dismissed on Monday by acting judge Nicola Molony.
The reasons for the refusal would be revealed at a later stage, Molony said.
The 52-year-old woman faces eight counts of human trafficking.
She was arrested by the Hawks’ East London serious organised crime investigation unit in October while she was teaching at a school in Cove Ridge, outside the city.
The teacher is accused of recruiting young women from the former Transkei region, namely Qumbu, Mthatha and Ngqeleni.
Provincial Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said the investigation began in September 2023, when the victims were transported from different areas to East London and allegedly coerced into prostitution at the accused’s residence in Quigney.
“From the money each girl made during the night, the accused [allegedly] collects R250 every morning. This amount has gone up to R300 currently,” according to court papers.
“If a girl did not make enough money to pay the accused, she would evict that girl without mercy.
“The accused made these girls always depend on her, as keeping up with the rent demands was never easy to meet.”
According to court papers, the deputy principal is accused of trafficking girls aged between 16 and 23 by “unlawfully and intentionally” recruiting, transporting and transferring them within or across the borders of the SA, by means of a threat or other forms of coercion.
She is further accused of keeping a brothel in contravention of Section 2 of the Sexual Offences Act.
The court papers state that between August 2022 and October 2025, the teacher allegedly kept a brothel in Quigney.
She is also accused of living off the earnings of prostitution, “knowingly living wholly or in part on the earnings of prostitution in contravention of Section 20(1)(a) of the Sexual Offences Act 23 of 1957”.
While the court was handling the appeal in Makhanda, the Hawks descended on the establishment in Quigney at about 9am, and found it to be still operating, with two women said to be inside, allegedly for sex work.
“The reason for us to be here is that we are doing a disruptive operation,” Mhlakuvana said.
“As the Hawks, we normally go to these places that we suspect and conduct disruptive searches.
“As we all know, there is this pending case of Vuyokazi Gana that is before the court, and this is not part of our investigation, but it is part of our disruptive operations that we are doing here today.
“We are going to continue [with the operation], and we want to get all the necessary information that might assist, or that might stop the perpetuation of the [alleged] brothel,” he said.
The Hawks believe the lodge is used as a brothel and housing for prostitutes.
However, it is advertised as a lodge to provide customers with a place to sleep.
A source at the scene who oversees the establishment, said the business was only a lodge and not a brothel, but admitted that people who booked a room at the lodge would conduct their prostitution business themselves, though not through force.
The source, who did not want to be named, seemed visibly shaken by the presence of the Hawks.
We can confirm as the Hawks that this place is running; it is still business as usual.
— Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana
The source said they were only at the lodge to watch over the business, and claimed the lodge was not operating as a prostitution hub.
“People sleep here, they come in to sleep and leave,” the source said.
“There are people who admit to selling themselves [prostitution], but it is not that they are forced; they sometimes say that they are doing it for reasons such as children and hardships.
“No-one is forced to do anything; the people who come here are older people, from 23 years upwards, no underage child comes here,” the source said.
Mhlakuvana said that when the Hawks arrived at the scene, three women were found inside, all of whom were said to be older than 30.
“We can confirm as the Hawks that this place is running; it is still business as usual,” Mhlakuvana said.
The source also said the lodge was still operating.
“I haven’t heard that she [Gana] has sold the property, her son regularly comes in to check the property; it is still her property, it has not been sold,” the source said.
No arrests were made on the day, and no underage residents were found.
Mhlakuvana urged the public to report any cases of human trafficking and brothels so that the Hawks could intervene.
Daily Dispatch
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