SA may adopt new prostitution law

SEX trafficking and prostitution are estimated to generate R40 000 a second – but both local industries are now under threat.

South Africa is in line to become the eighth country to adopt the Nordic Law‚ which criminalises the buying of sex but not the selling.

The law was developed in Sweden and is used in countries including Norway and Canada.

The Swedish ambassador for Combating Trafficking in Persons‚ Per-Anders Sunesson‚ was in South Africa this week to meet civic groups and the government to promote adoption of the model, which has seen prostitution halved and sex trafficking virtually eliminated in Sweden since it was implemented there in 1999.

Sunesson said there was an increase in sex trafficking across Europe as a result of migration flows‚ which saw disenfranchised groups, looking for ways to earn money, being exploited by human traffickers.

Current legislation in South Africa criminalises both the buying and selling of sex‚ but despite this about 150 000 sex workers continue to operate.

NGOs are waiting for a report by the SA Law Reform Commission‚ which contains recommendations on amending the law‚ to be released by the Department of Justice and for public debates on the reform.

Sunesson said models used in countries such as New Zealand and Germany‚ where prostitution was completely decriminalised‚ worsened trafficking and prostitution. “There are over 400 000 sex workers in Germany and only 1% are registered‚” said Sunesson. “Our model reduces the demand‚ and if there is no demand it reduces this kind of exploitation.”

Director of women’s rights group Embrace Dignity‚ Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge‚ said they wanted prostitution abolished because “we regard it as oppression and a form of genderviolence”.

“Research has shown people go into [sex work] out of a lack of choice. Because there are no jobs or they have dropped out of school and have no skills for the job market‚ or because they have experienced childhood abuse.” — TMG Digital