Times Of Swaziland: DAY, NIGHT RAIDS ON MANZINI SEX WORKERS

DAY, NIGHT RAIDS ON MANZINI SEX WORKERS
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 BY JABULISA DLAMINI on 07/08/2017 04:57:00


MANZINI – After a lot has been said about the arrest of about 30 sex workers
in the city, the Royal Swaziland Police (RSP) said it would continue conducting
inspections day and night.
Manzini Regional Crime Branch Officer (RCBO) Superintendent Clement
Sihlongonyane said their main aim was to make the city a sex work-free. On
Thursday, this publication reported that all 30 sex workers had pleaded guilty
to selling their bodies and they were sentenced to four months imprisonment with
an option of a E400 fine each.
The arrests and convictions sparked a debate where people who included Manzini
South Member of Parliament and Minister of public Service Owen Nxumalo who said
these sex workers should be brought to him. The minister said there was about
E1.5 million that could be used in his constituency to empower those who were
willing to leave the sex trade.
Nxumalo, who also lauded the police for arresting the sex workers, stated that
his constituency would not be only empowering those who wanted to leave sex work
but also the ones who stayed there and had life skills as means to curb sex
work.
Meanwhile, Superintendent Sihlongonyane said he was disappointed by the people
who had condemned such arrests and stated that it was unlawful.
“Who says such arrests would not eradicate prostitution? Ever since the sex
workers were apprehended in all the targeted corners of the city, Manzini is
super clean,” he said.
“The police are making random checks in all those places and we must say, so
far so good. We will continue arresting sex workers whenever they are found in
those points loitering for the purposes of prostitution,” Superintendent
Sihlongonyane said.