A 41-year-old Congolese national has been arrested in connection with the torture of patrons at Zanzou nightclub in Pretoria, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed.
Congolese man arrested for Zanzou nightclub torture
The suspect was taken into custody on Thursday night in Yeoville, Johannesburg, after police identified him from widely circulated videos showing men in their 20s being physically and sexually assaulted at the club.
The footage, which surfaced on social media earlier this week, sparked public outrage, leading law enforcement to launch a manhunt for at least eight suspects believed to be involved in the attacks.
SAPS spokesperson Athlenda Mathe stated that more arrests are imminent.
“We can confirm that this suspect was arrested in Yeoville with assistance and collaboration with JMPD on Thursday evening just after 10 pm. He was identified by this group of officers while they were conducting patrols. They could identify him from some of the videos that had been circulating,” said Mathe.
The arrest follows a broader investigation into the operations of Zanzou nightclub, which has come under scrutiny not only for the alleged abuse but also for violating city by-laws.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tshwane confirmed that Zanzou was not zoned as a nightclub, meaning it had been operating illegally.
Meanwhile, the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, led by Chairperson Xola Nqola, has expressed concern over the disturbing nature of the videos.
Nqola questioned why Zanzou’s management did not report the incident when they first became aware of it.
“If accountability means arresting managers and owners of the establishment, that must happen,” Nqola stated.
He also called for the Human Rights Commission to investigate, citing concerns about the exploitation of both foreign nationals and South African workers in many nightclub establishments.
Zanzou nightclub’s management has denied involvement, claiming that the videos were old footage being used in an extortion attempt by a former security guard.
The club stated that it has since hired new security personnel and is cooperating with the police investigation.
Despite this claim, authorities are pushing forward with investigations, and more suspects are expected to be arrested.
The arrested suspect is expected to appear in court soon, where further details about the investigation and potential additional charges will be revealed.
