Times Of Swaziland: COPS SWOOP ON MBABANE, LOBAMBA SEX WORKERS COPS SWOOP ON MBABANE, LOBAMBA SEX WORKERS ================================================================================ BY LINDELWA MALINGA on 10/08/2017 03:32:00 MBABANE – The capital city does not have sex workers! On Tuesday night, police officers were spotted around the city centre and the outskirts of the capital city, looking for women found loitering at night. The officers who started the operation at around 10pm, were seen as far as Ngwenya border gate and in the city centre until around 2am. All the isolated places in town and outside of town were visited by the cops and some were stationed there for some time before moving along to the next suspected hotspot for sex workers. In all the places they visited, they could not find even one woman breaking the law and they had to abandon their operation without making an arrest. However, it was a different story for police officers from Lobamba, who had a ‘fruitful’ operation as three arrests were made of ladies of the night. The operation was held by police from both Lobamba and Ezulwini police station the same night. Ezulwini is mostly known to have sex workers who target tourists booked at the hotels and lodges in that area. Superintendent Khulani Mamba, the Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, confirmed the arrest of three sex workers in Lobamba. “It would seem the sex workers around Mbabane have discussed the arrest issues with those in Manzini. In the past, we heard that the ladies would be found near the Fire and Emergency Services Station at night but we did not find anybody there. Lobamba police also arrested only three women when normally they are a lot. If you are found on the wrong side of the law, you will face the music. There were no arrests of sex workers in Mbabane. Those arrested in Lobamba were taken to court,” Mamba said. The three women appeared at the Lobamba Swazi National Court and they were sentenced to four months imprisonment with an option of a fine of E400, which they all paid. Recently, Manzini police arrested 30 sex workers who were taken to court and they entered pleas of guilty. Also, Pigg’s Peak sex workers found themselves having to face the law after they were rounded up by police officers. They were charged with breaking section 49 (1) (e) of the Crimes Act as amended in the King’s Order Council No.27 of 1977, which among others provides that: “Any person is guilty of an offence if found loitering at anytime in any thoroughfare or public place for purposes of prostitution or solicitation or to the annoyance of the public.”