South Africa: Sex Workers Tell Minister Police Rape, Rob, and Abuse Them

Bill to decriminalize sex work released

About 200 sex workers gathered at the East London International Centre on Thursday for a dialogue with Deputy Minister for Social Development Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu about the government's plans to decriminalize sex work.

Bogopane-Zulu encouraged all sex workers to read the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill of 2022, which would decriminalize "the sale and purchase of adult sexual services".

She said the bill was currently opposed by traditional leaders and religious groups.

Sex workers told the minister that criminalization has left them open to abuse by police. They said police raped, robbed, and harass them.

A male sex worker, who identified himself as Xolani, said he was arrested while soliciting a client. Police searched him and "because they found me with condoms" they locked him in the back of the van. He said they patrolled the whole night with him in the van and then dumped him "in the middle of nowhere".

Xolani also accused police of deliberately locking up arrested gay sex workers with other males in the holding cells, knowing that they will be gang raped.

Another sex worker, who identified herself as Linda, told the minister she has been raped several times by police officers after being arrested.

A sex worker, who identified herself as Thuli, said they are not only victimized by police but also by some clients and members of the community.

Katlego Rasebitse, the national organizer for Sisonke National Sex Workers Movement, said police should be focused on serious crimes not the soft target of sex work.

He said the organization was fighting for the removal of criminal records.

Bogopane-Zulu said the department will also be lobbying for the expunging of criminal records for sex work.

On Friday, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola announced the release of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill of 2022, which would decriminalize sex work, for public comment. Minister Lamola explained that the government would be taking a "two-step approach", with the regulation of the sex work industry following its decriminalization.

Minister Lamola said that decriminalization would "de-stigmatize sex work and enable access to basic services and protection by law enforcement agencies." He said that municipalities would have the power to determine where "solicitation in public spaces" can occur.

Comments are due by 31 January 2023.