Izwi Lethu: Our Voice Issue 12, 2016

IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE

Issue 12

Izwi Lethu

Our Voice

2016: Issue 12 A NEWSLETTER BY SEX WORKERS FOR SEX WORKERS

Editor’s Note by

Kagee, Editor-in-Chief

Photo Feature by

Sbuda, Contributing Editor

Dear Reader, Thanks once more for making time to choose to read Izwi Lethu! 2016 has been a great year this far as we about to welcome 2017. We have collectively witnessed lots of exciting events throughout the year, from monthly creative space to parliamentary events. We have proof beyond any doubts that we can be united. In this last edition of 2016, we have compiled interesting stories that will open your eyes and expand your reading mind.

We even have discussion questions around the impact of criminalisation of sex work in South Africa on sex workers. We worked to the eleventh hour just to bring you this edition before the holidays! We have pulled out our big guns to make sure that you will have a memorable reading experience. Look forward to your reading adventure in 2017! Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New! Yours, Kagee

Sisonke National Meeting

This issue's photo feature is about the Sisonke National Meeting at the Apollo Hotel, Randburg, in Johannesburg. Continued on page 14.

Sisonke National Co-ordinator: Kholi Assistant National Co-ordinator: Pamela Editor in Chief: Kagee Managing Editor: Greta

Contributing Editor: Sbuda Contributing Editor: Chidhavazo Contributing Editor: Linda

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My Love of Making Food by

Sbuda, Contributing Editor

RECIPE VEGETABLE PAP WITH MASH POTATO

The work of a pastry chef | Making food must come from the heart.

INGREDIENTS: MEALIE MEAL RAMA MILK POTATO 100g FROZEN MIXED VEGETABLES

I never imagined myself one day as a pastry chef because I never had the love of making food.

carrot cake and cheesecake to a carrotcheesecake (keep reading Izwi Lethu for the recipe).

FOR SEASONING: BLACK PEPPER SALT

After I finished my matric, I wanted to study beauty therapy but it is an expensive course. I couldn’t afford it at that time, but my partner encouraged me to do hospitality and become a chef because hospitality is much more affordable than beauty therapy.

My love of making food grows even stronger day by day. Even though I no longer work or practice as a chef, I haven’t stopped cooking or baking. I do it every day of my life not only in my kitchen, but I also cook for events such as parties and meetings where people want me to, and I get praised for my lovely work. Now I want to try to make a wedding cake.

METHOD: For pap boil water separately, add in 2 cups of mealie meal in a pot, add a pinch of salt, then add the 2 cups of boiled water and stir until it boils.

Leave it for 15 minutes then add 1 cup of mealie meal to make it a soft pap, continue to stir it every after 10 minutes for 2 times.

Magic happened. I developed the love of making food in the first month of the theory course in hospitality. After two weeks of learning, we had the first practicals. To show that you were in the right place, the instructor asked each person to make their favourite dish. I sat down and thought hard about what will I make that is totally different from others.

I simply made spinach rice with chicken a la king and made pears poached in red wine for dessert. I totally surprised my teacher and myself. I was proud of myself because I out did it and I scored high marks. Three years later, I passed the final exams and was one of the top five students that the school chose to do a training at a three-star hotel in Johannesburg.

Life changed now because we were now working in reality as chefs. I had two weeks in each section in the hotel for training. The last section I was in was the pastry section. I did so well that the hotel hired me. I became a pastry chef and not just became a pastry chef because I was favoured by the head chefs but it was after I made a lovely combination of

It’s important not just to have the love of making food for money but it must also come from the heart so you can be stylish and know how to play around with food, decorate it and in the cooking industry we call it food garnish. Also you must know the nutrients which are: (1) protein, (2) iron, (3) zinc, (4) vitamin D, (5) calcium, and (6) vitamin B12. All these make a human body function very well and stay nutrient balanced and healthy.

Here is the recipe that I want you to try at home. It is affordable, doesn’t take time to prepare, and is delicious.

For mash potato peel 2 large potatoes and dice them into small diced pieces.

Boil the diced potatoes for 15 minutes on high heat, then lower the heat.

As they still have the small amount of water, add in 2 tablespoon of Rama and mash them.

When the potatoes are mashed, add in 1 cup of milk and half teaspoon of black pepper.

Continue to mash until the mash is ready to eat.

Boil frozen vegetables in a small pot with Rama, salt, and black pepper for 5 minutes.

Mix/fold in vegetables and mash potato into the soft pap.

TIPS Serve the vegetable pap with any kind of stew.

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A Poem About Love by

Chidhavazo, Contributing Editor Hie sex workers out there!

Let’s love each other!

Let us respect each other, Understand our situation, The importance of being a sex worker, And why we choose to be sex workers.

Don’t be jealous to other sex workers.

Let us be united.

If you don’t have love in your heart, you have jealousy.

Let us not poison each other to let someone die because of Jealousy.

Loving each other, we must help each other to protect ourselves.

Let us protect ourselves from police harassment.

Let us know our Rights.

We can’t love each other without loving ourselves first.

Let us know our Health status and keep good Hygiene.

I learned about loving other sex workers from Sisonke.

Sisonke is a movement of sex workers for sex workers.

Let us respect our Leadership So that our movement grows bigger.

I have a lot to say, But these are some of the things that I learned.

Please don’t kill each other!

Viva Sisonke!

Viva Asijiki!

Beauty Tips from Lady Mya

by Lady

Mya

Beauty is subjective as we all know from the expression, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." However, there is one aspect of the beauty of a human body that is not debatable: the skin. It can either be on point or an utter disaster judging from texture and appearance.

It is highly important for one to know their skin type before using certain skin care products. For example, if you have oily skin, you do not have to use products that are of rich or thick texture, like when choosing lotions. These will make your skin more oily and clog the pores of your skin. Always opt for thin textured skin products.

The opposite is very true for those with dry skin. Use thick or rich textured products and skin replenishers. There are certain ingredients in some skin care

products that can be harsh on your skin and may compromise it. Hence I would like at this point to reiterate the importance of knowing your skin type as it informs you on what to buy and what to avoid.

How to identify your skin type • Discontinue use of whatever product you are currently using.

(Allow a space of 24 hours.)

• Wash your face with a gentle cleanser.

• Apply a good toner.

Results • Oily Skin - The face will get oily again within a few minutes of washing.

• Dry Skin - The facial skin will feel tight and dry just after a few minutes of washing.

• Combination Skin - Your facial T-zone (from the centre of your forehead, down the nose, and down

to the chin) will within a short moment of washing get oily, while the skin around the cheeks and the jaws gets tight and dry.

Bonus tip Your skin breathes through its pores.

No matter how tired you can be after a long day, ensure you remove all make up before going to bed! This will not only save your pillows and linen from staining, but also save your pores from clogging.

Until next time, Keep radiant!

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A Budget for a Sex Worker

by Linda, Contributing Editor

I was invited by Pamela Chakuvinga, who is our National Assistant Coordinator at Sisonke, to participate in a training for financial skills. The training programme was meant to encourage sex workers to make informed decisions about their financial situation, their career, and their health. Our facilitators were Ralf Spijker and Mariette Namers from Holland. The training was for three days at the Reef Hotel in Johannesburg.

On the first day of the workshop, which was on a Monday, we started with the introductions so that we got to know each other. There were about 25 participants from different provinces in South Africa. After the introductions there were also some ground rules that needed to be followed during class. On this day we were taught about being able to control our finances. It was about budgeting, saving, knowledge, and educating other sex workers how to save.

On the second day, we were taught about values of money and our goals.

On the goals, we have short term financial goals, middle term, and long term goals on saving. Most sex workers never knew the amount they spend in a week because they don't budget their finances. We were taught a lot of things even the dangers of taking loans like when you take a loan from dangerous people who will end up hurting or even killing you if you fail to pay back their money. So actually this day was about financing, income and expenses, and tips on how to deal with low income days and emergencies.

The last day we learned that a good budget helps you to pay for what you need and save up for what you want.

We grouped ourselves into groups of four to design our savings plans since it was our last day of the workshop.

We all passed with flying colours, and we were rewarded with small wallets

to start saving. We were given certificates from Pamela, Mariette, and Ralf.

Limpopo. I was able to teach other sex workers how to save their finances.

I called Suzie from Limpopo to get more information and her thoughts about the training. Suzie is not her real name.

Linda: How do you think it is going to help them?

Linda: Hallo Suzie, how are you?

Suzie: I think if they save their money, they will not go to borrow money from loan sharks, mashonisa.

Suzie: I’m fine, and you?

Linda: What else did you learn?

Linda: I’m OK. I just want to ask you a few questions about the finance training that you attended.

Suzie: I have also learned that saving is not about saving a lot of money.

You can save 50 rand every week, and by the end of year you will be having enough money for paying school fees for your child.

Suzie: OK, cool.

Linda: What is the best thing that you learned?

Suzie: I have learned a lot of things, but the best thing was about saving and managing my finances.

Linda: What was the most useful "take away"?

Suzie: It was when I got back to

Linda: OK, Suzie. Thank you so much for your time.

Suzie: It’s OK Linda.

The training has also helped me a lot.

I am now able to budget my finances, and I have been teaching other sex workers to manage their money.

IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE Issue 12

Clockwise from left: Financial Planning | Participants design a savings plan.

Doing business | Mable is a business woman and also a sex worker.

Bills | Thembi has made a list of things that she needs to pay for ever month.

Income and Expenses | Ruby talking about her income and expenses.

Saving | Candy has planned how much she was going to save per month.

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Look Around You and See her Shadow

by Kagee, Contributing Editor

We first met while I was working as a cashier in a retail store. Our first conversion was about if I can do her hair. I had never done anyone’s hair in my entire life. So I did what I do best, I referred her to my stylist friend. Same day later on, she came to show me how beautifully her hair was braided.

It was when we started talking about hanging out as bosom buddies. We would laugh, smile, and cry together.

It was a friendship bigger than the Great Wall of China. I knew everything about her, same with her about my life. When I was at work and she dropped by, I would close the till point or pretend that the cash speed point was not working just to chitchat with her. I always looked up to her as my role model. I knew her struggle from a small rented room to a town house with three cars. That was a friendship

at the highest level. A day would not pass without us liking each other’s Facebook posts. We would make each other angry about little stupid things like gossip, boyfriends, and other stuff, but our friendship kept us together.

She would jokingly say, “I wish you were a girl so that you can wear all my small clothes. Pity you are a man.”

Until one day I invited her to my place over the phone for a bottle of wine and beers. She refused to come over. I insisted that she join me so that later we could go out. Then she dropped a heart-breaking, hurtful bomb in my ear. I can still replay her words in the back of my mind.

She said to me, “Chomie, you are a sex worker, my friend, I choose places to go with you. I cannot be seen by other

people around you. They might think that I have rented a play boy.” Her words hit me like a car crash as I asked myself: How many places has she avoided or had excuses not to show up because I was there? We have talked openly about my sex work before. That was the day I knew that the mother of all stigma lives with her shadow around us.

This story of mine needs to be heard, as it will heal those who are associated with this stigma by friends, family, and beloved. It is important that we pen and voice our stories. I wake up every day and ask myself: When will the stigma around sex workers end?

And do I really know the people that I called friends? The question remains unanswered. Stigma hurts a lot.

Mothers of the Future

by Chidhavazo, Contributing Editor

Mothers of the Future is an organisation that was formed in 2013 in Cape Town.

It was formed by us sex workers to help the children of other sex workers who are failing to take care of their children because of some problems they face in life. Some sex workers cannot look after their children because of using drugs or drinking too much beer when they are on duty and they sometimes have unwanted pregnancies and fail to take care of their children. Mothers of the Future launched a branch in Joburg on the 10th of November 2016. I was very happy to attend because Mothers of the Future will take care of children and help sex workers.

When I was at the launch, I thought of my friend who could be helped by the Mothers of the Future. She fell in love with a client at work, and she was not managing to pay her rent. The client took her as a wife, and she got pregnant.

Then the client ran away from her because he did not want to take care of a pregnant woman. My friend was

chased away from the hotel because she was not working during the pregnancy, which was making her lazy to work.

She did not have a place to stay, so she was sleeping on the streets. She met a migrant woman who was surviving by selling some fruits on the streets, and she explained her problem that she was having. The migrant woman understood her and gave her accommodation and food. After two months she gave birth to a baby boy. Like the father, she also ran away and left this woman who was helping her with the baby. When the baby was two months old, the migrant woman tried to look for the relatives of my friend, but she failed. Then she decided to go to the police to report the matter. The boy is three years old now, and this migrant woman is still taking care of him. I wish that Mothers of the Future could help this woman because she is suffering.

I think she should join Mothers of the Future so that she gets support to raise this child. If Mothers of the Future in Joburg finds a shelter, which they plan to do, then the child can go live there.

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Ask Dear Mastoep

Life Line Column

by Dear

by Connie Mahange, Project Manager

Mastoep

Dear MaStoep,

Hia Mastoep,

I am a young transgendered woman who has a regular high paying client that likes bareback. We have both self-tested for HIV and found out we were negative.

We enjoy having each other raw, but he’s still a client and I recently developed the suspicion that he might have other sex workers or partners that he bonks without plastics, too. I don’t want to reintroduce condoms as this might drive him away. At the same time I don’t like pills, so PrEP is not an option. Are there perhaps any new developments on rectal microbicides or something similar?

Can I educate my children with money from sex work? Is it not a crime if I do that?

Searching for Solutions Dear Searching for Solutions, Firstly thank you for being so honest and open about this issue as many people do not want to share the realities that they are faced with on a daily basis either while working or in personal relations. It is hard to introduce condoms when you have not been using them for a long time as you are already used to that and sometimes questions of loyalty come into play.

Seeing as PrEP is off the table for you, I would recommend that you speak to your client about this and the risk that he is putting you in. It is also important to remember that there is a window period of about three months where someone can be positive but this will not be detected by the test.

In terms of rectal microbicides these are still at a trial phase so unless you are part of the study, they are not yet available to the general public. I would recommend you speak to your partner but if that doesn’t go well there are times we have to make hard and difficult choices. So faced with the choice of either the income or your health, I would say your health so that you can continue working and making more money.

Regards, Mastoep

Concerned Parent Dear Concerned Parent, I asked my friends at the Women’s Legal Centre to help with this question about the law. Here’s what they said: “It is not a moot point that there exists a myriad of vulnerabilities faced by the children of sex workers. One of the pertinent issues singled out is financial benefits accruing from sex work income.

It is pivotal to note that despite the illegality of sex work, children educated or financially funded by parents or legal guardians through sex work funds cannot be implicated or incriminated for prosecution unless proven otherwise.”

In other words, it is unlikely that your children will get in trouble if you use money from sex work to pay for school fees.

Best, Mastoep

Life Line Johannesburg started a new project on sex work in October 2016. We have a team of seven active peer educators, a site co-ordinator, and a young and vibrant nurse. Our flexible team is very energetic. The team is also active on Human Rights and other social issues. We do Day and Night Outreach during the week and weekends. Our night outreach is a service offered to sex workers that do other work during the day.

Services we provide include HIV testing services, condom distribution, and counselling. We target the following areas: Norwood, Orange Grove, and Alexandra, and part of Sandton including Rivonia Road. We have a friendly and welcoming environment at our offices, which will include a clinic as from January 2017. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, we are at Alexandra CHC Masakhane Clinic.

Life Line Contact Details We can be contacted on the following number: 011 728 1331 You can send a “please call me” on this number: 083 416 2301 For more information regarding our services, you can contact Connie Mahange, Project Manager, on this number: 083 951 0378 Visit our website at www.lifelinejhb.org.za

Send your questions! | Dear Mastoep is now on Facebook! Connect with her at Maggie Mastoep or email her at mastoep@gmail.com

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My Calling by

Sbuda, Contributing Editor

When I was 8 years old, I used to dream at night while sleeping.

Dreams like seeing my late great grandfather who died before I was even born. When I wake up the next morning, I tell my parents, and they will want me to describe how did he look like. I explained exactly how I saw him, and my parents get so shocked by the description because I never saw him in flesh nor saw him in the pictures.

I am the last child of a Christian family of five. I have two brothers and two sisters and a lot of good things are expected from me. My father is a pastor of at a Christian congregation. My family didn’t understand me at that time, but it was clear enough for them that I had a calling—not just any calling but the one to become a sangoma, which is totally against my father’s belief as a pastor. I grew up as a gay person, and that was bad enough for my father. When he was tolerating my situation at that time, I asked him to go for the traditional practices to become a sangoma because I knew it was time for me to be at the initiation.

He did not even give me a chance to finish what I was saying and totally reminded me about him tolerating me as a gay person and now I want to shame him in the community again by becoming a sangoma.

That was in 2007 when I was 15 years old and doing my grade 11. I definitely told myself, “It’s fine. I will forget about all the initiation thing.” I thought it would never bother me but I was lying to myself.

Trouble started. In the black culture there is nothing wrong with communicating with ancestors, but Christians do not believe in that.

They believe in praying only.

I wrote my last matric paper in 2008 November. That same year in December our neighbour in

Photos: Sbuda

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Did You Know

by Mosima

Soweto was getting married. It was a traditional wedding. My family was invited, but my father was out of town. On the wedding day, we got ready and went there with my mother and brothers. The decor was so lovely. Everyone was in their traditional outfits, and I was rocking my Xhosa attire that suits me so well.

The tent outside the yard where the reception took place was full with about fifty people there.

They played my favourite song, “Nisixoshelani,” by Makizolo; it was a hit that year. I didn’t think twice.

I stood up and started dancing, and people started clapping hands for me as I was dancing so good. All eyes were glued on me, and that made me to carry on. That is what I remember for that day.

When I woke up the next day, I found myself in a house I didn’t know. My hands had cuts, my body felt painful and wet. I was in the sangoma clothes, and I got so confused about what happened to me, who took my clothes off and put me these clothes. While I was still wondering and asking myself questions I didn’t have answers for, a lady came in. “Usuvukile, ususe ndaweni ye dlozi ke manje,” she said. You are awake now, good you are now in the initiate to become a sangoma.

I got so confused and asked her why I was wet, my body so painful, my hands with cuts and blood, who she was and where was my family, too.

She explained herself that she will be my teacher for the initiation.

She told me that as I was at the wedding dancing my ancestors came to me and started working on me as I was dancing and I stripped naked in front of people. They all thought I was going crazy. As I tried to run off, my brothers grabbed me and put me in the car, but I broke the car windscreen. That is why I

had cuts. I ran straight to her house being directed by my ancestors. My family had to follow me as I was untouchable.

I felt like crying at the thought of stripping naked in front of people who know me and those who didn’t. After two months in the initiation my father came back to Joburg and my mother explained the situation what happened at the wedding and where I was. He totally got so furious that he came and took me out of the initiation by force. I was out because I had no choice; I did what pleased him.

Time went on and strange things started happening. I fell from the bed at night sleeping. When I told him what was happening at night, he told me that I must not sleep in the bed but to sleep on the floor.

I did that, after 5 years in 2015 my neck twisted and looked backwards when I woke up in the morning I found myself like that and it was so painful.

I was rushed to the hospital but medical doctors didn’t help me. The doctor himself advised my parents to take me to the spiritual doctors.

My father took me to a traditional healer, who told us I have a calling and I must go for the initiation. He had no choice but to take me back to the initiation. Here I am back in the initiation, doing what I should have done a long time ago, and I am enjoying it even if it’s not an easy journey to accomplish.

I want to encourage those that say there are no ancestors but there is God to understand that we find ourselves praying and saying God of Esau, God of Abraham, but all of them—Abraham and Esau—are ancestors. We communicate with God through our ancestors because they are the ones close to God. So my ancestors who are close to God are my forefathers.

Kekana, Attorney

The Women's Legal Centre is a non profit law centre that seeks to achieve equality for women, particularly black women, through impact based litigation, the provision of free legal advice to women, support for advocacy campaigns, and the provision of training that ensures that people know and understand the impact of the judgments of the courts around women’s rights.

DID YOU KNOW: From November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, until the 10th of December, International Human Rights Day, global organisations participate in 16 Days of Activism to catalyse action to end violence against women and girls around the world.

Sex Workers have a 45% to 75% chance of experiencing sexual violence at some point in their careers.

December 17 is the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers.

Cape Town and Johannesburg 24 hours helpline: 060 377 4439 www.wlce.co.za

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The Impact of Criminalisation on Sex Workers in South Africa

by Kagee

and Friends

The following three stories are important to be written and heard.

These stories show the direct impact of the criminalisation of sex work in South Africa on sex workers. Under the Sexual Offences Act 23 of 1957 sex work is criminalised. Such stories could not have occurred if laws that criminalise sex work were to change. Stories like these can be used for case studies and in other spaces. We want to use these stories to advocate for a total decriminalisation of sex work.

Marlina’s Story I’m a gay sex worker, staying in Yeoville. I’ve been a sex worker since an early age. I was doing my business in Hillbrow. Everything was going very well for me. All the South Africans of all colors used to buy me. I was the boss of the bosses. Why people are still calling me Marlina? It’s because I look like Marlina from the soapies.

One day when I was at work, I was taken by a client to lower Houghton. After the job, he refused to pay me. I’ll never forget it in my life. I was a dead sex worker. The client shot me, but I refused death because of the sex worker spirit accompanied by God and all sex workers’ ancestors and my ancestors. We do not do this because of whatever. It is our career and trade given by God. I can now show my scars as proof of the survival of sex workers.

Catherine and Mpitsa’s Story Being a sex worker is not always easy. If we had decriminalisation of sex work, a story like mine could have ended differently.

There were two of us at Rosebank doing business. A client took us to his place to do our work in Pretoria North. It was a white male client.

He promised to pay us R1000 each.

One of us would be sucking him while the other would be massaging him. We did that for the whole night. All went well.

The following day, he said to us that he was going to the bank to get money to pay us. He showed us a refrigerator that was full of beer and cold drinks and another refrigerator that was full of meat.

When he was about to leave his house, he gave us R50 each so that we could go and buy some cigarettes while we waited for him to come back. We waited for him until 12:00 midday. He never came back. We consoled ourselves by drinking beers hoping that he would come at anytime. I went out of the house and found that all gates were locked. I told my colleague that we can’t go anywhere, that this client’s intention was to abuse us to his satisfaction. We consoled ourselves by drinking more and more until we slept.

He came back about 7:00 p.m. with a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey.

He tried to force us to drink it. We refused to do so. We demanded our money which he promised us. Wow! There comes the drama!

“Hey! Get out of my premises! You won’t get anything from me! It was a free service! I gave you R50 each for your transport, then nothing else! Please go! I’ll open my dogs to make you happy,” he said. He beat us up.

We apologized, “Okay, master! Really it was a free service! As you have said. Thank you! Thank you sir! Let us go. Give us something to drink as we are staying in Joburg, so that we will forget about what had happened to us.” We thanked him about his free services. We were so much scared that he would kill us. Ukuba y, sex workers, kunzima. Phambili sex workers, phambili. Know your rights, sex workers, know your rights!

Sometime later, I went back to work and I was arrested at Illovo by the Norwood Police. I spent the whole weekend at the police holding cell until Monday. I suffered a lot with my colleagues: no water, dirty place, poor food. We were treated like criminals. You ask a cop for a cigarette, and the answer was a good clap in the face! Makeup was gone!

Sex workers, we must be recognised by our government and the people, the community, even nationally and internationally. Sex workers, don’t steal, kill, or rob on the job. It’s a business! In the name of sex workers, let us be strong for ever and ever! I’m one of the survivors!

Petunia’s Story Sometimes it’s hard for me to perform my duties at the park. My main spots are Berea, Observatory, and under the trees of any place

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Season’s Greetings from SWEAT

by Sally-Jean Shackleton, SWEAT Director

Berea, I had many clients and I earned a lot. One of my clients turned against me, demanding all the money I was having. I fought him all out. As I was stronger than him, he picked up a steel rod and broke my hip. As all can see now, I still can’t walk very well. But I’m still doing sex work at the parks.

And I will until I retire.

In Conclusion Here are some thought provoking questions for you to think about and discuss.

1. Do you think sex workers deserve to be beaten up for doing sex work or arrested if they report abuse?

2. If sex work were decriminalised do you think sex workers would open bank accounts rather than hide money in places like under Petunia’s stone bank? in Joburg. Rainy days and winter days are the worst days for sex workers. When it is raining there’s no business. Cold days they want to do “all night” for little money.

Clients, we don’t call you. You do come to us. Pay us! We do business together, 50/50. It’s good for us both.

One client wanted to pay me at Observatory, which is next to Observatory Road. The guy was so cute, driving a good car. He approached me, and I said yes. I showed him my spot. There were blankets and cardboards as my mattress. He said, “That’s fine.”

With my client, we make very serious business. Oh! Shame he paid me good, then he left. After the payment, I put my money under a stone, which I never make any mistake about which one it is. Then I went to Berea.

After a hard rainy evening in

3. Should sex workers be able to work in a clean place and be protected by law?

4. How good are sex workers in terms of reporting cases that happen while they are working?

5. What are better ways that sex workers can still work without violating by-laws, such as those against loitering, that are used to arrest them?

6. So do you think the man who took Catherine and Mpitsa to Pretoria should be arrested?

7. Why are sex workers rights not protected?

8. What can sex workers do to protect themselves from abusive clients?

2016 has been an extremely busy and challenging year for us at SWEAT. Our hope is that all the work we have done collectively makes sex workers safer, healthier, and more empowered. As we rush towards the end of the year, I’d like to thank all our staff members who work so hard, our Board members who volunteer their time, and most of all, sex workers who come to events and workshops, connect with us on outreach and help us to make sure we get our services right!

Our staff, and our Board wish you and your families a safe, joyful end to the year, and hope 2017 begins positively!

PS: Don’t forget our Help Line is still operational. We have a locum counsellor answering the phone from when we close on the 15th of December to when we open our doors again on the 9th of January 2017.

IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE Issue 12

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Guest Column: News from South Australia

by Roxana

I’m Roxana, a sex worker from South Australia and also one of the admin/ finance offers at SIN, The Sex Industry Network. I am also the current International Representative Double for Scarlet Alliance and came over to South Africa for the 2016 International AIDS conference. I was fortunate enough to travel around and meet with many amazing activists, mostly sex workers, from both Sisonke and SWEAT, in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and of course Durban. Thanks so much for the amazing time, and I’m so proud to write a piece in your amazing newsletter. < 3 The Sex Industry Network (SIN) is the South Australian sex worker organisation run by sex workers for sex workers. SIN offers peer support, education, information, advocacy, and referral services for sex workers.

On top of all these services, we lobby, inform, and guide the discussions around the bill to decriminalise sex work in our state.

Sex work is still criminalised in South Australia (like most places in the world, sadly), despite sex workers globally advocating for decriminalisation. Since 1980 the bill to decriminalise sex work has continually failed. To effectively decriminalise sex work in South Australia, the bill must alter a number of clauses contained in the Summary Offences Act (1953) and the Criminal Law Consolidation Act (1935-1976). The bill is currently being discussed by a select committee in parliament (again) and hopefully later this year or next year will be voted on. We can only cross our fingers and hope that this time it’s not (again) voted down, or delayed.

Next week is the Scarlet Alliance National Forum (Australia’s national sex worker organisation’s AGM) and amazingly it’s being held in South Australia, Adelaide. Sex workers from all over Australia will be flying

into Adelaide to celebrate Scarlet Alliance and partake in the annual AGM. In conjunction with the forum we are organising a huge rally at parliament house to put pressure on the South Australian government to move forward with the bill and vote in favour of decriminalising sex work. I will be speaking at the rally, and no doubt will, in part, be inspired by my experiences at the AIDS conference this year. I was blown away by all the energy and passion in Durban and hope to add some of that flair into my speech next week.

So wish us luck here in South Australia and who knows, maybe this year will be our year for Decrim.

If not, we will continue the good fight and at the same time know that we are most certainly not alone! We are all part of this together, and it’s heartening to know that we are all connected to a worldwide group of dedicated sex

worker activists and allies, who risk their lives in some cases and fight for sex worker rights every day.

As inspired by all you amazing South African sex workers, “On your marks, get set, we are ready for decrim”!

Lots of kisses, Roxana < 3 < 3 < 3

IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE Issue 12

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News from Asijiki

by Constance

Mathe, Asijiki Coalition Co-ordinator

The Asijiki Coalition started during a national stakeholders meeting that took place from 22 to 23 October 2014 when delegates resolved that a coalition for the decriminalisation of sex work should be formalised. The Asijiki Coalition consists of sex workers, activists, advocates, and human rights defenders who advocate for law reform for the decriminalisation of sex work in South Africa. Asijiki’s steering committee is made up of four organisation: Women’s Legal Centre, Sisonke, SWEAT, and Sonke Gender Justice.

Our aims are to reduce stigma and discrimination against sex workers, to create safer spaces for sex workers to work in safer environment, to ensure that sex work is recognized as an occupation, to make sure sex workers are treated with respect and dignity, and to empower sex workers to advocate for themselves.

All aspects of sex work are currently a crime in South Africa.

The criminalisation of sex work negatively impacts sex workers by making them vulnerable to violence and making it difficult for them to access health and justice services whilst denying them labour rights that all other employees are entitled to under labour law.

The South African government has initiated the South African Law Reform Commission to investigate, research, and make recommendations on whether or not the law on sex work should be changed, and if so, how.

Decriminalisation of sex work means that the buying and selling of sex will no longer be a crime. It would bring sex work within a human rights framework, where occupational health and safety laws as well as South Africa’s protective labour framework will apply. Sex

workers will also be more able and willing to claim their human rights to equality, privacy, and freedom from violence.

The decriminalisation of sex work is the model of law reform that respects human rights and is based on public health evidence. Following international evidence and best practice, decriminalisation will have the following effects on sex workers and South African society: • Reduce the levels of gender based violence; • Reduce the prevalence of HIV and other STIs; • Create safer places for sex workers to work; • Create safer societies; and • Respect sex worker agency and choice of occupation.

The way forward is for us to increase pressure on government to change the law on sex work by

decriminalising sex work, raise awareness of the need for the decriminalisation of sex work from a human rights and public health perspective, and lobby institutions, lawmakers, and communities to support decriminalisation. We must challenge harmful stereotypes of sex workers that keep stigma alive and facilitate acts of unfair discrimination against sex workers and build the capacity of sex workers to advocate for the decriminalisation of sex work.

If you want to become a supporter of Asijiki, membership is open to organisations and individuals and targeted at members of civil society from all sectors including gender, women’s rights, human rights, legal, and public health.

You can visit our website at www.asijiki.org.za Keep reading Izwi Lethu for more news from us!

IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE Issue 12

Photo Feature by

Sbuda, Contributing Editor

Continued from page 1. The Sisonke staff had training on how to engage with the media and why it is important to engage with the media. We must share our stories and let people know about Sisonke.

Representing Sisonke! | This is the Sisonke Staff group picture, showing the beauty of all Sisonke staff members gathered in one place!

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IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE Issue 12

Learning Together | The training is being facilitated by Lesego of SWEAT.

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IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE Issue 12

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Kholi's Desk

by Kholi,

Happy Holidays!

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Sisonke National Co-ordinator

Dear Reader This has been the biggest year thus far for Sisonke—from the Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa's declaration that sex work is work to our strong presence at the International AIDS Conference in Durban—and your Izwi Lethu has covered it all. We had a great national meeting that trended in social media for days. Sisonke and SWEAT want to remind you that our help line is forever open throughout the festive season. Report all violations of human rights and make sure you live healthier lives. Your safety is our concern. Take care of yourselves and look after each other. Thanks to all the board members, partners, and our supporters for their fearlessness in making sure that our voice is heard.

You guys are amazing for taking this glorious movement to the level we are at now!

Pamela, your Assistant National Co-ordinator, management peers, and I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Lots of love, Kholi

Ceremony for Sex Workers Our sector leader, Thuli Khoza, National Co-ordinator, Kholi Buthelezi, and Sisonke Board Member at the candle lighting ceremony commemorating all sex workers who have died because of violence.

Sisonke Sex Worker Movement

Sisonke Sex Worker Movement, lauched in 2003, is South Africa’s only sex worker movement run by sex workers for sex workers. Sisonke aims to unite sex workers, improve living and working conditions, fight for equal access to rights, and advocate for the deciminalisation of sex work in South Africa.

Izwi Lethu is a collaboration between Sisonke Sex Workers Movement and ACMS’s MoVE Project.

Check out methodsvisualexplore.tumblr.com for extended articles, audio recordings of writers reading their stories, and many more pictures.

Download all past issues of Izwi Lethu from issuu.com/move.methods.visual.explore