Following a case where two underaged children were found inside Adult World in Beaufort Street and questioned by the police, it has been suspected that local Islamic artist Mohammed Moorad paid them to enter the shop in an attempt to implicate the business in illegal activities.
Following a case where two underaged children were found inside Adult World in Beaufort Street and questioned by the police, it has been suspected that local Islamic artist Mohammed Moorad paid them to enter the shop in an attempt to implicate the business in illegal activities.
When questioned about these allegations, Moorad denied them saying "I don’t know anything about it and I did no such thing."
Since the opening of the adult entertainment shop, Moorad -who is also a committee member of the Unemployed People’s Movement- has taken a moral stand against the business.
In one of the letters he wrote to Grocott’s Mail, Moorad stated that the shop is "an immoral educational centre which is going to attribute immoral DVDs, CDs, books and sex toys to pollute the minds of inhabitants of Grahamstown."
With regards to the allegations, police spokesperson Inspector Sherolene Williams said that the two children- who are both seventeen- were questioned and stated that Moorad offered them money to enter the shop. However, she added that they were released on a warning and Moorad was not questioned.
Numerous attempts to obtain comment from the police concerning the investigation was unsuccessful as Williams says the matter is still under discussion.
Meanwhile, Moorad says a joint committee consisting of various organisations has been observing customers who enter the shop on a daily basis to see if they fall under the legal age to enter an adult business. He also stated in the letter that "children have been observed for some time entering the shop.”
He also owns a building next door to Adult World which is used as a Ghanaian Church. He believes that with such a business being within 100 metres of a church, all legal avenues must be used "to protect the moral image of the City of Saints."
The joint committee of people who are opposed to the business include the Unemplyed People’s Movement, the Grahamstown’s Muslim Association, Fingo Revolutionary Movement and the Rastafarian Community. Although the business has a large sign stating: "Strictly no under 18s allowed in the store, ID is to be presented on request" the joint committee is still not convinced that everyone who enters is over 18 years old.
