The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, Mr Xola Nqola, has noted with sadness the videos circulating videos on social media about events at ZanZou Bar Lounge in Pretoria.

The videos show disproportionate abuse directed at black men. However, ZanZou management said the videos are old and were an extortion attempt by one of its security personnel. ZanZou management stated that they have engaged new security personnel and have vowed to work with the police.

Mr Nqola said it is unclear why ZanZou's management did not lay charges with the police when they first became aware of the incident. He called on law enforcement to get involved and not to rely on information related to them and out-of-context social media videos.

"These practices are a common occurrence in many white-owned and foreign-owned nightclubs across the country. No patrons set out to experience what is being perpetuated and recorded. If accountability means arresting managers and owners of the establishment that must happen," said Mr Nqola.

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Apart from the exploitation of foreign nationals at many of these establishments, there is a lot of abuse of poor South Africans who genuinely want to make a living, the Chair said. "The comment of ZanZou is not enough to explain what is, in the eyes of everyone, old and an extortion experiment from one of their security personnel."

"We call on the Human Rights Commission to get involved and speak to the affected and the alleged extortionists. There are a lot more issues that need to be uncovered than meet the eye. Nightclub establishments thrive on illegality that seems to be perpetuated without mitigation," emphasised Mr Nqola.

He said the committee is extremely concerned by the alleged incident and thus calls on law enforcements to get to the bottom of the matter.