▶️ By Mzi Velapi – this post appeared originally on ©️Elitsha
SUMMARY by Vuka.news:
“Increased Police Harassment: As the festive season approaches, sex workers report heightened police harassment. Lloyd Rugara from Sisonke National Sex Workers Movement notes, “Unlawful arrests are more common during this time of the year… A sex worker who is a mother can get arrested for going to a shop to buy food for her children.”
Police Extortion: Pam Ntshekula from Sweat claims police exploit street-based sex workers by demanding sexual favours in exchange for avoiding arrest. She says, “The police tell the sex worker to give them a blowjob or sex. They take advantage of the vulnerability of sex workers because they threaten you with arrest without proof.”
Stigma in Healthcare: Ntshekula adds that sex workers face significant stigma when accessing healthcare, making it challenging to receive necessary services.
Criminal Record Consequences: Connie Mathe from Asijiki Coalition highlights the lasting impacts of criminalization, saying, “If you get arrested as a sex worker you get profiled… To clear your name takes up to 10 years for one arrest,” adding that multiple arrests can make clearing one’s name impossible, affecting future job opportunities.
Call for Decriminalization: Sex worker advocates want the repeal of South Africa’s Sexual Offences Act, which criminalizes sex work. Emily Craven, director of Sweat, explains, “This is an ancient piece of legislation… All the provisions around sex work remained… [In] 2007, the Sexual Offences Amendment Act criminalised buying sex.”
Legislative Delays: Activists say the push to decriminalize sex work has been delayed by government changes, and no majority party exists to lobby effectively. Mathe states, “We wrote a bill… submitted it to the ministry of justice… but unfortunately we had a government change… We haven’t heard from them since.”
Legal Case for Rights: Mathe reports that a legal case to advance decriminalization is scheduled for next March. She asserts that decriminalization would reduce stigma, eliminate criminal records, and improve rights access, noting, “People will be able to access their rights and the choice of work would be respected.”
