Zanzou nightclub co-owner says he has suffered reputational damage

JOHANNESBURG - A director and shareholder at a Pretoria nightclub exposed for abusing patrons says he has suffered reputational damage.  

On Tuesday, Neo Moela, one of the owners of Zanzou, spoke out for the first time since a video of the physical and sexual assault surfaced online last month.  

Security guards were filmed attacking a group of young men in a storeroom at the nightclub.  

One person has since been arrested, and police are looking for seven more people linked to the attack.

READ: Zanzou nightclub briefing: Owner apologises to assaulted patrons

Moela, who co-owns Zanzou with several other businessmen, asserted that he wasn’t aware of the abuse of patrons at his nightclub until the incident went viral.  

While the 34-year-old acknowledged that he is not the sole owner of Zanzou, he said he doesn’t know why the co-owners chose to distance themselves from the establishment after it made headlines for all the wrong reasons.  

Through his lawyer, Zola Majavu, Moela claimed that his reputation has been damaged, and he seeks to restore his name.  

“He is prepared to do whatever it takes for justice to prevail - justice not only for the victims but justice for him as well. We live in days when a lot can easily be said in the media and it grows legs, which is why as human beings there is a temptation to clear and defend yourself.”  

While charges haven’t been opened against Moela, he said he would continue working with police to uncover the facts.