PROSTITUTES ARE NOT CRIMINALS

Sir,

Watching Channel S news on November 10, 2014, I was so touched and concerned when I saw a severely beaten woman; beaten up by police allegedly for being suspected to be a prostitute.

The police are alleged to have found her loitering around the streets in Manzini around 10pm. She alleged she was waiting for her brother to give her money so that she would continue with her journey to a night vigil.
The woman claimed that not very far from her sat some ladies, suspected to be prostitutes. When police approached, the ladies ran away. She, however, did not run away. The policemen are alleged to have beaten her up severely.

That’s a clear sign of unprofessionalism from our police force. The police are a law unto themselves. Why do they victimise these people? All people, regardless of whatever crime they have committed, deserve to be treated with dignity. What was the need of beating up the woman? This is not the first woman to be beaten; they are always harassed and beaten by the police but the public never gets to know. If the poor woman had committed an offence by loitering at night, why didn’t the police charge her for that and bring her to justice to answer her case?

 What a patriarchal society we live in? These sexually hungry men should also be blamed. I think these men are the people who actually perpetuate prostitution. It is also possible for a male to be a prostitute too. I have never heard that a male has been prosecuted for such. All these males who have several sugar mamas get incentives just for having sexual intercourse with these old ladies. Then, if men are not punished for practicing such trade, why are women punished? Why do we discriminate these two classes of prostitutes’ solely upon sex and gender?

I do not see prostitutes as a threat to society at all. What harm, if any, do they cause to society such that they deserve punishment? I think there is none. We cannot justify criminalising prostitution simple because it’s an immoral conduct. A lot of equally immoral acts are not punishable in Swaziland, for example, sluts, fornicators, adulterers etcetera. If all these acts are not punished, why should prostitution alone be punishable?

They must be left alone. As long as their customers have come of age, and such sexual intercourse is done out of their free and full consent, why should we care?  As this country is said to be going to First World status in 2022, we cannot continue allowing police to harass women simply because they were found loitering the streets at night. As long as they don’t steal anyone’s property, women must be at liberty to dress anyhow and walk anywhere at any time. Those who may be interested in engaging such prostitutes will do so at their free will.

For now my suggestion would be that sibindze sibona. I also believe those morally upright men who do not seek the services of prostitutes do not feel threatened by the existence of prostitutes in society. We have all sinned by engaging ourselves in immoral acts which are not punishable by our justice system. Let the one who has not sinned be the first one to pick the stone and throw it at these women.

Siyabonga Hlophe

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