Izwi Lethu: Our Voices Newsletter Issue #1 March 2015

IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE

Issue 1

Izwi Lethu: Our Voice

March 2015

A NEWSLETTER BY SEX WORKERS FOR SEX WORKERS

IN THIS ISSUE

Editor’s Note

by Tanaka, E ditor-­‐in-­‐Chief

Sisonke Sex Workers' Movement Gauteng, in conjunction with the African Centre for Migration & Society (ACMS), with the support of the Open Society Foundation (OSF), is proud to render a first of its kind newsletter, Izwi Lethu: Our Voice, by sex workers! The inspiration behind this newsletter is the fact that sex work is criminalized in South Africa, therefore, sex workers are marginalized people who in most cases have their human rights violated, face alarming volumes of violence, stigma, and discrimination, and above all sex workers are often misrepresented or inadequately have platforms to air their sentiments. The title Izwi Lethu: Our Voice was unanimously agreed on by sex workers who were in attendance at a sex workers' Creative Space Workshop in February 2015. It is through this publication that sex workers will be able to share their experiences, communicate the challenges they face in their day-­‐to-­‐ day lives, and send their plights to policy makers or people who are influential in

policy making and the general population at large. For if we come together and sing with one voice, our song will be heard!!!

Yours Truly!!!

© Working the City, 2010

Lebogang’s Photos

Masthead

Featured in this issue are Lebogang’s photos from the MoVE project Working the City. Listen to Chantel’s interview with Lebogang on MoVE’s blog: www.methodsvisualexplore.tumblr.com Learn more about Working the City at www.workingthecity.wordpress.com

Editor-­‐in-­‐Chief: Tanaka Managing Editor: Greta Contributing Editor: Alishah Contributing Editor: N elly Contributing Editor: Chantel

Izwi Lethu is a collaboration between Sisonke and ACMS’s MoVE Project, funded by the Open Society Foundation

© Working the City, 2010

“This is inside the hotel I stay and work from,” from Working the City.

IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE | Issue 1

2

International Sex Workers’ Rights Day

by Tanaka, Editor-­‐in-­‐Chief

This day has been celebrated since the 3rd of March 2001 in India when 25 000 sex workers came together in solidarity to protest against the increased violations of human rights on sex workers. The month of March in the South African Sex Worker Industry has also been marked as a human rights month.

On the 3rd of March annually in South Africa, sex workers hold peaceful demonstrations to commemorate this special day with the rest of the world as well as to appeal to the local relevant authorities or influential entities in policy making to address challenges faced by sex workers. Usually a memorandum of grievances is handed to a government department to sign on this day.

After all these demonstrations and plights to decriminalize sex work, it still remains a criminal offence in South Africa, therefore increasing sex workers' vulnerability to violence, stigma and discrimination. Considering the fact that South Africa has a high crime rate, one would wonder why the government would see it necessary to view sex work as a criminal offense when it is a non-­‐ violent engagement between consenting adults. On the other hand, there is violence erupting from all corners of the country, multitudes of

Love and Sex Work

by Alishah, Contributing E ditor

My name is Alishah. I'm 36 years old, and

I will write a little piece about my boyfriend because he didn't know that I was a sex worker before we started dating. I have chosen to write about him because he knows everything about me, which includes my HIV status, but I did

victims being failed by the justice system and perpetrators walking freely.

All these years, sex workers have been marching for their rights, but to no avail!

This year, we as Sisonke and SWEAT have hosted a campaign to raise awareness on sex work and to explore a different way of advocating for sex workers’ human rights to be acknowledged. On March 3rd 2015, we went out to the streets to educate the general population of South Africa about the day and its significance. We gave the people we talked to T-­‐shirts with messages of advocacy printed on them, captured the moments on camera, and posted on our social media pages and our websites. To see photos from the day, follow MoVE on Twitter @MoVESAfrica and Sisonke @SisonkeSA.

not tell him my status. I think he saw it on the Internet before he asked me. He just said to me, let’s check our profiles on the Internet. Little did I know that I was there because of an interview that I did before we got involved. He said to me that he doesn’t care about my past and status. He loves me, and that’s all that matters. The reason I wrote about him is because I want people to understand that being a sex worker is just like any other profession.

This is a word of advice to those opposed to sex work: You do not necessarily have to like the life style, but respect other people’s decisions as what they are doing affects them, and not you. Before you judge anyone, always remember it is not your duty to do so, therefore you are creating unnecessary work for yourself! As the late great legend Michael Jackson said, “If you wanna make the world a better place, first look at yourself and make a change!” That sex worker on the street that you victimize is probably a mother with a hungry child at home, a sister fighting to get a roof over her head, or a daughter that has no parents and is struggling to get school fees! Have you taken a moment to find out how you could assist, if you are really concerned?

There are people who can love and marry you knowing where you are coming from and all your history without being judgmental.

Loving me knowing that I’m HIV positive while he is negative and that I’m a sex worker, he is one of only a few who can do that. I want people to know that there are sex workers who are married and in relationships.

IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE | Issue 1

3

WORKING THE CITY

© Working the City, 2010 “Hillbrow Community Health Centre provides services such as HIV tests and counseling and at the same time provides ARVs. It also provides services for TB patients,” from Working the City.

Ask Dear Mastoep

by Dear Mastoep

Nelly’s News from the Street

Dear Mastoep, Can I be a sex worker at Sandton?

by Nelly, Contributing Editor

Dear Want to Work in Sandton,

Yes if you want to work in Sandton then you can work in Sandton. What I would advise is for you to first go and check the place out during the day so that you are familiar with the place especially if you haven’t been there. Also if there are people who you know who work there, ask them about what kinds of clients, how the police are, and also if there are skollis or anything like that.

by

In the streets around Oxford Road police are now targeting the client. They wait until you finish negotiation with the client. When the car starts to move, they will stop the car and ask you to get out.

Then they will tell the driver to go and buy in Hillbrow. Some sex workers were arrested in Midrand. They had to pay a fine of R500. The police will even come twice to arrest sex workers. On February th 25 , 2015 at 10:22 p.m., two sex workers were arrested in Sandton on Rivonia Road. During their detention, they were abused by the police officers physically and verbally. They were kept in a dirty cell for three days. While they were in the cell, they called Women’s Legal Centre and Sisonke to assist with the police bail. After they were taken to the Randburg Magistrate’s court. We as Sisonke and WLC went to court for support, but they didn’t appear in front of the Magistrate.

If you think you can make it in Sandton then go and earn some Sandton molla.

Love, Mastoep

Dear Mastoep, My question is "What is A Sex Worker?" I am asking coz some people define one as a sex worker if only you work in brothels or stand by a corner. Please example to me better. xoxoxo Sunshine Dear Sunshine, The definition that I would use for a sex worker is one that many use and accept.

A sex worker regardless of where you work, whether you stand by a corner, work in a brothel or work from your

home because you advertise on the internet, a sex worker is someone who sells sex. They survive and make money from selling sex to others for a set or a negotiated price. Before sex both people know that the sex will cost a certain amount. So Sunshine, if you feel that this is you, regardless of what others say then you are a sex worker.

Can I be a sex worker when I am 60?

Dear Soon to Be 60, If you feel that you can still work at 60, then you go for it. There are some clients who prefer more mature elderly sex workers. But let us also think about saving so that you have a small nest egg for when you are older and maybe get fewer clients or want to spend more time to you. How about starting to save now for that day and for retirement. Did you know that the age for retirement in South Africa is 60 years? So if at 60 you still want to work, make sure that you work safely as the older we get also the more vulnerable we get.

Love, Mastoep

IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE | Issue 1

4

Chantel: Is the place safe?

Plastic View

by Chantel, Contributing Editor

I want to talk about sex workers who are

working in Pretoria, and I myself also work there. We are working under harsh conditions. My friend and I travel from Johannesburg where we are staying to Pretoria plastic view. The place is called plastic view because the houses are made of plastic and cardboard boxes.

There are a lot of people staying there and the place is good for business because a lot of men staying there are single. In terms of security there is no security at all. Those men staying in plastic view are always fighting using knives and knobkerries. Most of the men are from Zimbabwe and Lesotho.

Lesotho people are called 'amashweshwe'. So when we go to plastic view we go there at our own risk and we normally go to plastic view on Thursday and come back Monday morning. There is no security to look after us while we are working. There is a small room at the back of the bar where we do our business. Sometimes when you are with a client inside that room, four to five men can just come inside with big knives and knobkerries and demand money from our clients. If the client does not give them money or his phone, they will beat him or even kill him with knives. There is too much money in Pretoria but there is no security so anything can happen to us anytime, any minute.

I interviewed a woman who goes with me to plastic view. Her name is Fiona.

Chantel: Fiona, why did you choose to work in plastic view?

Fiona: I like it because there is a lot of money.

Chantel: How much can you make in those four days?

Fiona: I can make from R1000 to R1500.

friends visited them, they were not allowed to see them at all because they were sex workers. The police officers proved their point that sex workers don’t have rights, showing people their nudeness, forgetting that those sex workers are parents. While the sex workers were still detained, the police changed the charges from prostitution to illegally being in South Africa and expected the sex workers to go back to their country naked. Thanks to Women’s Legal Centre, they managed to talk to the station commander who allowed them to be given clothes, but some of them were deported back to their country.

Fiona: No the place is not safe at all.

Sometimes thieves come and steal from our clients.

Chantel: Why don’t you ask the owner of the place to hire security guards who can watch you while working?

Fiona: It will not help because the guards can also steal from us and our clients.

Chantel: How many of you are working there?

Fiona: We are five but there are a lot of bars where a lot of ladies are working.

Chantel: when you finish business where do you sleep?

HEALTH TIP

Fiona: There is a room for ladies to sleep.

HUMAN RIGHTS FACT

13

Chantel: Do police come to monitor the place?

Fiona: Sometimes not always.

Women’s Legal Centre helped 13 sex workers who had been arrested in the first two weeks of March.

.

HEALTH TIP

Alishah’s Outreach

by Alishah, Contributing E ditor

Protect yourself:

Always wear a Condom!

Many things happen to sex workers. I remember last year there were sex workers who were arrested in Benoni.

There were about 35 of them. They were all arrested inside the brothel where they work. When they got to the police station, they were denied access to visitors and access to phone calls. They were told they don’t have rights, which is not true. Each and every one has rights. It doesn’t matter where you come from, the minute you step onto South African soil you acquire rights like any other human being. Some of the arrested sex workers were half naked, wearing only bras and pants because they were at their place of work. When

© Working the City, 2010

“These are ARVs that I take to improve my CD4 count as well as lowering the viral load that weakens the immune system,” from Working the City.

IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE

Issue 1

Lebogang: You can be abused by police, clients, and brothel managers.

Chantel: What advice can you give to someone who just started working as a sex worker?

Lebogang: To respect yourself, take care of yourself, and to respect fellow sex workers.

Chantel: Do you take this as a job?

Lebogang: Sex work is work, no one forced me to do, it's by choice. iJob iJob.

`

© Working the City, 2010

Photographer and Sex Worker

by Chantel, Contributing Editor

Lebogang is a sex worker who started selling sex at the age of nineteen. She was recruited by a friend into the business and does not regret being a sex worker. As the breadwinner in her family, she has to take care of her parents, her two kids, and herself. As a sex worker she has managed to take care of her family responsibilities as well as buy healthy food for herself.

Lebogang is receiving ARV treatment, and it is very important that she takes good care of herself. In 2010, she participated in a participatory photo project called "Working the City". In 2011, she was awarded a bursary to study photography at the Market Photo Workshop where she completed the Photography Foundation Course. Since she started working as a sex worker until now she still likes her job. She entered into the business by choice; no one forced her.

Chantel: Lebogang, when did u start this business?

Lebogang: I started in 1999.

Chantel: How did u start?

Lebogang: A friend of mine introduced me to this business.

Chantel: Do you like being a sex worker?

Lebogang: Yes, I like it because I can make money to look after my parents and my children.

Chantel: What are the dangers of being a sex worker?

© Working the City, 2010

Lebogang’s images were taken during a ten-­‐ day participatory photo project entitled, “Working the City: Experiences of Migrant Women in Inner-­‐City Johannesburg,” a collaboration of the Market Photo Workshop, Sisonke Sex Worker Movement, and the African Centre for Migration and Society at Wits University.

IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE | Issue 1

6

Guest Columnist

by Rev. Mbulelo Dyasi, Brothers for Life and White Ribbon South Africa Ambassador, SANAC Civil Society Forum Coordinator and SANAC Men’s Secretary General

TOWN

I remember attending the SANAC Sex Work summit in Gauteng where it was explained that sex work is pure business by professionals. There it was reported that some police officers go as far as sleeping with sex workers and refuse to pay them.

Instead they arrest them or kill them. The stories changed my attitude towards sex workers. Listening to those stories I felt that as a community we have gone too far. We cannot justify the killing of a person simply because he or she is a sex worker. For that matter, we do not have authority over other human beings and we do not have authority to judge other human beings as written in the Bible, II Chronicles 19:6.

I don’t want to believe that it is OK for sex workers to be sexually harassed by the very

same people who condemn the business. I don’t want to believe that as a pastor I have the right to impose my understanding of religion on other people. I don’t want to believe that sex workers are not children of God, because we were all made in God’s image.

Religion and faith have always played an important role for some of us, shaping our views of the world, influencing ways of life, informing careers and peace-­‐making. I remember during apartheid it was a must to attend religious teachings, and as a child and young adult those teachings exposed me to the views and teachings of the Church.

There, some of us learned the importance of loving other people, highlighting the issue of loving all of God’s creation and respecting humanity which changed the way I looked at things and shaped my view of the world beyond religion.

Honestly studies of the Bible must acknowledge that men and women, as God’s special creation, have been blessed with “human rights.”