Prostitution ongoing in the west
“Our police only act when there is an outcry, but they turn a blind eye weeks later, when the sex workers return.”
Sex workers operating along a stream on Vom Hagen Street in Pretoria West have residents at their wits’ end.
Pretoria West CPF spokesperson Thesigan Pillay said police were doing little to curb the prostitution taking place in an open veld a few metres from Hoërskool Pretoria-Wes.
READ MORE: Prostitution and crime haunt west
Eric Cordier, one of the residents, said the sex workers had been operating there for years.
“It is a very difficult matter for residents, police and social workers,” said Cordier.
“Our police only act when there is an outcry, but they turn a blind eye weeks later, when the sex workers return.”
Police spokesperson Captain Bonginkosi Msimango said although prostitution was still talking place, it was under control.
“Residents need to give us information on who is in charge of these acts,” said Msimango.
“Everyone has rights but it is very important their practices don’t infringe the rights of those around them.”
Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce director Sally Shackleton told Rekord on Wednesday that circumstances had forced the sex workers to indulge in such activities.
“We as a non-profit organisation are assisting these young women as much as we can,” said Shackleton.
“We deliver condoms, give them safety teams and free healthcare.”
She said residents needed to engage with the sex workers in order to understand their situation.
“They need to understand that inequality is not a problem that will go away soon.”
READ MORE: Prostitution and crime haunt west
“Some of these girls have been through poverty and this is their only means of getting income let alone survival.”
Last year, Hoërskool Pretoria-Wes principal Hannlie Coetzee said she was worried that the sex workers may target her pupils.
“There’s a lot of them (prostitutes) just near the school and they operate anytime of the day and night,” said Coetzee.
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