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Zim women survive on ‘cross-border’ prostitution in SA

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Situated in central Johannesburg is a hotel (name provided) which is a hive of activity, fully packed with mostly Zimbabwean commercial sex workers. As soon as one enters the hotel, discordant greetings in Shona or Ndebele fly in one’s face, with sex workers scrambling for attention as they beckon at clients, using all forms of […]

Situated in central Johannesburg is a hotel (name provided) which is a hive of activity, fully packed with mostly Zimbabwean commercial sex workers.

As soon as one enters the hotel, discordant greetings in Shona or Ndebele fly in one’s face, with sex workers scrambling for attention as they beckon at clients, using all forms of obscene gimmicks to lure sex scavengers, some even pulling prospective clients their way as they crowd corridors in the hotel.

However, a visit to eight other hotels in Johannesburg was an awful revelation.

The visit exposed outrageous live action pornography at one of the hotels, where prostitutes bet for money and have sex with their clients on stage while onlookers clap and cheer.

Workers from hotels across Johannesburg said there was an influx of sex workers from Zimbabwe every month-end when men have money to splash.

“Our hotels are fully booked on weekends at month-ends with most prostitutes from Zimbabwe, whom we suspect come to cash in on pay days,” said one hotel manager, who declined to be named.

He said some sex workers came from as far as China, Pakistan, India, Hong Kong and Venezuela, who mostly booked at local hotels for several months before returning to their home countries.

Sources revealed that Zimbabweans were now engaging in cross-border sex work as they were no longer based in Johannesburg for lengthy periods, but just came to spend a few days since the normalisation of Zimbabwe’s economy.

Reports gathered in Johannesburg revealed young sex workers from Zimbabwe were organised in groups led by elderly women who smuggled the girls into the country.

“Older women from Zimbabwe smuggle young sex workers for purposes of using the girls to make a living, as these older women are losing business, thus they use the girls,” said Nompumelelo Khumalo, a sociologist based in Johannesburg.

The flooded vending business in Zimbabwe has led to rising levels of cross-border prostitution in South Africa as most women in the business in South Africa have found the competition stiff and opted for commercial sex work.

“I travelled from Harare to come and buy wares for resale back home, but the market for this business is now congested, pushing me to engage in sex work,” said Linda.

“I come here every month-end, mostly on weekends and make R2 000 per night.” Asked if she was not afraid of contracting HIV, Linda said it was rare for Zimbabwean commercial sex workers to contract the dreaded virus as the use of protection was adhered to religiously.

Zimbabwean bus drivers claimed the bulk of passengers they ferried to Johannesburg were women.

“We strongly suspect that the bulk of women we ferry to Johannesburg are coming here for prostitution because they make up a greater percentage of our passengers,” said Donewell Mhike, a bus driver from Harare.

South Africa is the strongest economy in Africa, attracting economic migrants from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria.

Following the 2008 economic and political meltdown in Zimbabwe, most marriages reportedly collapsed, with women divorcing their spouses.

“At the turn of 2008, a year that spelt a fatal political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe, most marriages collapsed, with most women opting to cross to neighbouring South Africa for commercial sex work,” said another commercial sex worker from Zimbabwe in Johannesburg, who identified herself as Thandi.

Meanwhile, prostitution remains illegal in South Africa although rights groups in the country called for its legalisation prior to last year’s Fifa World Cup finals.

Police in Johannesburg say they continue arresting several sex workers in central Johannesburg, mostly from Zimbabwe, but the Justice Department determines the penalties.

According to the African Medical Research Foundation in South Africa, an estimated 5, 7 million people are living with HIV and Aids while approximately 1 000 people die every day from the disease. Rights groups are calling for sex workers to insist on condom use.

South Africa has had difficulty controlling the influx of illegal immigrants from Zimbabwe, but with the July 31 deadline for processing work permits for Zimbabweans in the country already passed, scores of undocumented Zimbabweans face instant deportation.