Sex workers invade council flat

Council workers residing at Trafalgar Court in Harare's central business district (CBD) have voiced concern over the proliferation of commercial sex workers at the City of Harare flat fearing that it would be turned into a brothel owing to massive illegal occupations and subletting.

The building is originally earmarked to accommodate municipal police offices, City Parking offices as well as offering cheap accommodation to council employees.

However, the situation has changed over the years as the building now also houses private businesses and tenants who are not employed by council.

Residents who spoke to The Herald said commercial sex workers found their way into the council building and were bringing danger to residents as many "clients" were now frequenting the flat.

"These hookers are disturbing our way of life. Imagine, we stay here as families. What will our children learn from their immoral behaviour? There are some council officials who were allocated these flats but do no stay here, they are the ones subletting the flats," said a resident who declined to be identified.

Another council worker who also stays at Trafalgar Court concurred with his colleague saying council hierarchy should carry out an audit to flush out people leasing flats.

"The only way to cure this is for council to carry out an audit or a head count to find out if council workers are occupying these flats because the situation is getting out of hand, remember the building also hosts some respectable offices."

The city's corporate communications manager Mr Michael Chideme yesterday said council would investigate the issue and cancel leases for those found subletting the apartments.

"Subletting is not allowed. Trafalgar has institutional residential apartments. Families and singles stay at Trafalgar. Insinuating that it is being turned into a brothel is wrong and scandalous. Council does not control visitations to individual apartments," he said.

Mr Chideme however, said the city would cancel leases of employees who were found to be subletting the apartments.

An audit by City of Harare in March last year unearthed massive illegal occupations, subletting, and non-payment of rent at the council owned Trafalgar Court.

The Audit Committee sat in March last year to discuss the outcome of the probe after finding out that there were high levels of illegal occupation and non-payment of rent at the council building.

In addition, some unscrupulous council employees are sub-letting their allocated apartments.

The audit also established a 24 percent illegal occupancy rate and high levels of rental arrears.