“They knew,” allege former ZanZou patrons

Former patrons of ZanZou nightclub in Pretoria claim that management was well aware of the atrocities that have allegedly been taking place at the popular student lounge.

They claim the managers of the establishment orchestrated and covered up brutal abuse.

As disturbing details of what took place at the club continue to surface, calls are mounting for it to be shut down.

The gruesome clips making the rounds on social media show young men being tortured, with much of the abuse being of a sexual nature. In one clip, the men are forced to masturbate.

Three of the victims have since opened criminal cases.

Former patrons of the club allege that the club has been hunting ground for predators for years, where young men were targeted, tortured, and abused.

One young man, still shaken by his ordeal, shared a chilling account of rescuing his friend from a freezer, where he had been bound and forced to remove his clothes.

“There was an incident where my friend couldn’t pay. They put him in a freezer at the back, unclothed. They’d take him out from time to time and put ice on him. If I didn’t intervene, I’m not sure how much further it was going to go,” the source told YNews.

He claims that management was not only aware of the torture but sometimes even ordered the abuse. 

“Where the video was happening, the manager’s office is right next to that. So, they can’t say they didn’t know, because they’re the last people to leave. The bouncers don’t act off their own accord; the managers, including Neo, tell them, ‘Go handle this,’ and they do,” the source said.

YNews spoke with other young men who shared similarly gruesome tales. They described being violently targeted by club bouncers, detained in a dark room at the back of the club, and even alleged a police cover-up of the brutality.

The nightclub’s management has released a statement claiming that the incidents depicted in the videos were related to theft, rather than unpaid bills. 

Stephen Cohen, one of the owners of ZanZou, has distanced himself from the nightclub, describing himself as a silent strategic partner.

In a lengthy statement, he detailed having nothing to do with the daily operations of the establishment, amid calls for his arrest.

While owners claim the bouncers in the video have been dismissed, MK Party provincial leader Eugene Nkadimeng is calling for action against the owners. 

“We need the owners to appear in court and take accountability. He owns a variety of clubs here in Tshwane. It’s the first step to justice. Simply firing the security company is not responsibility,” he said.

Former shareholder at the establishment, Katlego Malatji, says he is disheartened at the events that took place at the business.

He officially cut ties with the business in July 2023, months after the incident in the eye of the storm.

In the letter of his termination of partnership, addressed to another shareholder and friend, Neo Moela, Malatji warned his soon-to-be former business partner of the risk and danger he was subjecting himself to by staying, saying no amount of money was worth the cost.

He even offered to have a sit-down with him over the matter, although he wouldn’t be returning to the business.

I am disheartened to learn of the harrowing incidents that occurred at ZanZou.

I have exercised no control in the business since the end of 2021 and formally left the business in 2023.

I trust the legal process to take its course and pray healing upon all victims involved. pic.twitter.com/0DI9UJ7Ssg

— Piano Man (@KMalatji) February 18, 2025

The club’s current management’s efforts to retrieve stock today, were stopped by members of the MK Party Student Movement, who prevented a truck from entering the premises. 

Police were on high alert outside the nightclub and have since cordoned off the area, expressing concerns that the removal of any items could compromise their investigation. 

They are searching for eight men suspected of involvement in the case.

The extreme acts of torture have prompted police to make an urgent plea, asking anyone with further information about the January 2023 incident to come forward.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is meanwhile urging people not to share disturbing videos of the sexual abuse at ZanZou. 

According to the SAHRC, sharing the gruesome images could lead to criminal charges, as they infringe on the dignity and integrity of the victims.

The commission is also investigating the institutional culture that led to the alleged abuse, saying there is no justification for the incident.

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has also slammed the bouncers actions, describing them as shocking and deeply disturbing acts of violence, torture, and dehumanisation.

It’s called for law enforcement officials to meet the “barbaric and inhumane treatment of individuals, as seen in the videos” with the full force of the law to uphold justice and reaffirm the principle that human rights are non-negotiable.

“We call upon law enforcement agencies and all relevant constitutional structures to act swiftly and decisively in investigating this grave violation of human rights. The perpetrators of this shameful act must be held accountable to ensure that justice is served without delay,” adds the department in a statement.