Legalising prostitution in South Africa?

by Thobile Memela

Public officials are considering to legalise prostitution in South Africa, and guess who came up with the whole idea at first place?, former NPA Commissioner and Interpol President Jackie Selebi, yep why are we not surprised? ANC MP George Lekgetho seems to promote the same idea. He emphasised that prostitution would be the ultimate case of ceasing rape in the 2010 Soccer World Cup "it is one of the things that would make it a success because we hear of many rapes because people dont have access to women", he said. One of the things that concern me is the fact that these 'public officials' do not inform 'the public' in their decisions. People particularly the lower class people in townships, skwatta camps, rural areas are not informed. Their voices are silenced, they are always expected to agree on everything 'they' decide is right. They tend to forget these are the people who produce most of their votes, they are the ones who make them 'seat up there' their votes make them experience the luxury life they are experiencing right now. And in return they ignore their voices, ignore what they might have to say in this, as a matter of fact they ignore their culture because they know that prostitution is a deviant act in their eyes and legalising prostitution is just against morals and against religion in their culture. So they go on deciding to legalise something that will merely affect their societies, because its not their children or relatives who will sell their bodies to international arrivals but it is their children who will end up deeply involved in this business.