Legalising sex work will not stop human trafficking or child abuse, but give criminals legitimate premises to operate from, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) Youth Foundation said on Wednesday.
”The legalisation of prostitution will not stem the flow of human trafficking or child abuse, it will merely provide convenient legitimised premises for the criminals to operate from,” said Peter Motshitela, president of the ACDP Youth Foundation.
”Those who are calling for prostitution to be decriminalised or legalised are actually calling for creation of a bigger problem in society,” he said.
He said the South African Law Reform Commission was conducting workshops on ”sexual offences and adult prostitution”, and the ACDP Youth Foundation was extremely concerned that this initiative would be ”hammered forward to suit vested interests”.
”… No concern is shown about the future of our country and its lovely image. Reasons and arguments put forth to decriminalise and regulate prostitution are in essence fooling us.
”In the same way, the legalisation of abortion has not stopped back street abortions but has merely provided the abortioneers [sic] with an opportunity to deface our streets with adverts for their grisly services.
”There is no country in the world that has successfully limited or eradicated this abuse through social experimentation.”
He said the South African Law Reform Commission would have people believing that tradition and culture called for the need for sex work.
”They justify this standpoint through a reference to Irish culture which does not relate to the African experience at all. The project coordinators showed that they despised our African values.
”People should hang their heads in shame that prostitution is offered to Africans as a way out of poverty,” he said. — Sapa