By Staff Reporter
news@alexreporter.co.za
Sex Workers from around Limpopo Province, had a rare opportunity to express their concerns yesterday during a dialogue with the Deputy Minister of Social Development, Mrs Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu about issues affecting their work on a daily basis.
The dialogue took place as part of the 16 Days of No Violence against Women and Children campaign currently in full swing under the theme, “The Year of Mannya Maxeke – 16 Day of Activism – Moving from Awareness to Accountability.”
According to Ms Conny Buthelezi, from Sisonke National Sex Worker Movement in South Africa, sex workers are facing abuse, violence and other forms of exploitation which may be economic and Gender Based Violence (GBV) in nature.
“As of 1957, sex work was criminalised in terms of the Sexual Offences Act of 1957. Clients have to pay lots of money in the form of bribery to appease those who arrests them and even social workers,” said Ms Buthelezi.
Buthelezi further highlighted that there was a need to advocate sex work for 18 year old persons and above. In addition, she said that:
“law enforcement officers often demand money from sex workers and some of their rights are violated as they are arrested, even when they go shopping and not necessarily conducting their sex work business.”
One of the Sex Workers from around Limpopo Province, who chose to remain anonymous, said she was a bread winner and she appealed to the Government to protect them from abuse.
She also advised fellow sex workers who were in attendance to try and the save money they generate from their work so that their children and families may live better lives.
Another sex worker who was at liberty to express her concerns, mentioned that she was raped and reported her case with the South African Police Service (SAPS).
She also complained that instead of the police arresting the rapist, members of the SAPS told her to find the person who raped her.
One of the Sex Workers, who only identified herself as Ms Malema, told the audience that she was HIV positive and currently on Antiretroviral treatment.
She shared that she was once detained and refused her ARV treatment. “I was once arrested by police officers and was detained without access to ARVs.
When I requested to be given ARVs, they promised to organise for me, but I ended up surviving for three days without ARVs,” said the anonymous sex worker.
In response, the Deputy Minister indicated that sex workers’ rights should be respected by all South Africans, especially, members of the SAPS.
Similar to all workers, sex workers also have a right to health care, protection and recognition of their profession,” said Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu.
In closing, the Deputy Minister emphasised that she appreciated the voices of sex workers and would continue to advocate for the protection of sex workers.
Representing the SAPS, Colonel Kekana told sex workers that no police officer had the right to abuse their position as a police officer. She said they had listened to the grievances of sex worker.
“We have listened to your concerns and our role as the SAPS is to protect all South Africans including Sex Workers,” said Kekana.
Sex workers are a vulnerable group as defined in Goal 3 of the National Strategic Plan for HIV, TB and STIs.
The Goal stipulates that, in order for the country to succeed in its quest to end HIV as a public health threat, all key and vulnerable populations such as sex workers need targeted interventions designed for challenges unique to them.
The National Sex Worker HIV Plan also calls for similar interventions geared towards addressing structural drivers of HIV within the sex worker context.
The Department of Social Development calls for the decriminalization of sex work-as criminalization poses a myriad of challenges against interventions designed for sex workers.
Criminalization of the trade is intricately linked to the on-going human rights violations and inadequate access to social, justice and health services.
Sex workers continue to be the subject of human rights violations, gender-based violence, ill-treatment by law enforcement officials and the public as well as severe cases of stigmatization. These challenges were heightened by the outbreak of the Corona Virus.
Pic: SowetanLive and Giyani Vuew