IMAGINE a young woman suddenly opening your car’s passenger door and hopping in while you are night-dreaming, waiting for a traffic light to change.
“Take me to paradise,” she says.
After the initial shock, the pennies (not pants) drop. Horrors! She is a ‘lady of the night’.
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN : Butthead’s Beat: Code Red for government hospitals
She demands payment, definitely NOT for services rendered in any way, but just to get her to agree to get out of the car before an acquaintance sees you. True story.
It happened in Durban, but there are bound to be a host of similar tales coming from infamous prostitute hangouts like Rethman Drive in Tweni and numerous ‘spots’ in Margate. Residents and business people alike are having a hissy fit, based on reaction to a recent Facebook post by Margate ward councillor Dave Watson.
Prostitution is a problem. It has always been a problem, since time immemorial.
The knee-jerk reaction is: “Go away… anywhere, but far from our turf.”
So the blue light brigade pounces every now and again, rounds ’em up like cattle and throws them into jail.
Before one can say ‘knickers’, they are back on the street again.
Prostitution is immoral, distasteful and definitely not what any tourist destination like Margate wants a reputation for. But what to do?
This is a cliché now, but John Bradford’s quote in the 16th century says it all: “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”
Surely few prostitutes ‘love’ their jobs (excuse the pun)?
Nobody sheds their school uniform and jumps up and down shouting: “Yay! I’m going to be a pro sex worker.”
Yet few show any compassion for these poor souls, most of whom are driven to selling their bodies through poverty, desperation and drugs.
If we are to learn from history – going back to ancient times – no amount of law enforcement is going to get rid of this oldest of all professions.
So why buck them?
Instead of Margate people insisting that authorities chase these ‘ladies’ to another street corner… and another and another, perhaps we should consider the Nordic way.
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN : Butthead’s Beat: Balls to the wall for rapists
Last week’s Sunday Times published a very thought-provoking piece by former deputy minister of health, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, headlined: “Nordic model may be best way to free woman from sex trade.”
Basically, they have ‘decriminalised’ prostitution. They also provide exit services and support, while ‘criminalising’ pimping, the operation and ownership of brothels and the ‘buying of sex’.
Currently, no recognised media platform will ‘name and shame’ for fear of being sued.
But if he is found guilty in court, bye-bye ‘John’.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
For news straight to your phone, add us on BBM 58F3D7A7 or WhatsApp 082 421 6033
