Izwi Lethu: Our Voice, Issue 14, 2017

IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE

Issue 14

Izwi Lethu

Our Voice

2017: Issue 14

A NEWSLETTER BY SEX WORKERS FOR SEX WORKERS

Editor’s Note by

Katlego, Editor in Chief

Photo Feature: Johannesburg

by Chidhawazo

and Ziyanda

Dear Reader, It was just the month of the celebration of women in the world and roses are still all over! Our Izwi Lethu team has been hard at work to bring you this edition. We got stories that will keep you reading and sharing with your friends.

From a poem that our reporter wrote, “Ayeye Sisonke,” to stories of hope and courage that will indeed make you feel motivated to do more. Our guest writer from Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre, Mabatho Molokomme, with her mastermind article will push and challenge you to think, and Mosima Kekana of Women’s Legal Centre is on point with her “Did You Know” piece.

We have photos from a recent public debate on sex work and from around Johannesburg. Mastoep has not yet sent the wedding invites, but our team is working around the clock to try to secure seats for our readers. Enjoy the reading!

Yours truly, Katlego

Continues on page 12.

Editor in Chief: Katlego Managing Editor: Kholiswa

Reporter: Ndumie Reporter: Ziyanda Distributor and Contributor: Chidhavazo

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Youth Day Celebration by

Ziyanda, Reporter

The 16th of June 2016 was my happiest day. That was the day when we made our own celebration for the Youth Day holiday. Youth Day is a holiday in South Africa when we remember the students who were murdered by Apartheid police in Soweto in 1976. People all over South Africa celebrate Youth Day, so my sex worker friends and I decided to throw a party.

It was me and seven other sex worker friends. All in all we were eight. There were three transgender women and five ladies. We planned our party on Monday, because the holiday was on Thursday and we needed time to make more money.

On Thursday morning, we took out R150 each. All in all we had R1,200.

We bought ourselves meat, soft drinks, mielie-meal, and salads. We didn’t buy alcohol because when people get drunk they turn to fight.

We decided to invite everyone including the neighbor who asked our landlord why is she keeping people who sell sex in her home.

One of my gay friends brought us his music system. We didn’t want to use people’s yards, so we went to the police station and asked for permission to use the street in front of our yard. The police said that we must go to the station commander. Even though they knew we were sex workers, we went there and asked him. He gave us permission. We went back to my place and asked my landlord to use her kitchen. She agreed. She offers a lot of support for us sex workers because she believes that sex work is work.

We started to cook pap, and we made salads. We braai-ed meat outside in the yard. We were all wearing different school uniforms.

We played music. People from our

community came and joined us, and the police came by to check if we were still OK. I felt so supported because the community and the police know that in that house there are a lot of sex workers staying there. We really enjoyed our day because many people were dancing with us to Kwaito music. Some were eating with us and some even contributed towards the cost of the party.

Later we switched off the music and cleaned the place. While we were cleaning, we were singing struggle songs.

That was my happiest day because I got support from the community.

The way they were enjoying with us it showed that they accepted us. We are your mothers and daughters. We are your brothers and sisters. Amandla! Awethu!

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Ayeye Sisonke Ayeye by

Chidhavazo, Distributor and Contributor

Ayeye Sisonke Ayeye!

Ayeye SWEAT Ayeye!

Ayeye Women’s Legal Centre Ayeye!

Ayeye WRHI Ayeye!

Ayeye Life Line Ayeye!

Ayeye ACMS Ayeye!

Sex Workers, how are you there?

Sex Workers, why do you like your job? Because you support your kids? Because you take care of your parents?

Sex Workers, what do you want government to do for you? Recognize Sex work as Work?

Sex Workers, aren’t we human beings?

Sex Workers male and female, let us remind our community, government, churches, and health centres that we are human beings like everyone else in the world and we need respect!

I talked about government because we need support to reduce police harassment.

I talked about WRHI because we want access to health care, like condoms, treatment for HIV/AIDS, TB, and STIs. I talked about WLC because we want to know about our rights.

I talked about ACMS because we want to be educated. Because of ACMS, I improved my reading and writing skills.

Because of the organisation Sisonke, I am happy in the Sex Work Industry.

Sex Work is Work!

Ayeye Sisonke Ayeye!

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Losing Memory by

Ndumie, Reporter

In June 2016, we were at our work spot in the street downtown.

My friend Prisca was called by a client in a black BMW with tinted windows. She went to him and talked to him and came back with R500 of which she left with Mavis and told us that she was going for a whole night with that client.

We stayed there, doing business, planning to go home in the morning.

At 5:30 a.m. we saw Prisca jumping out of a security car. She was in shock, and she was not properly dressed like she had been when

she left. Her clothes had been torn.

She stood still with her eyes wide open like she had seen a ghost. We asked her what was the matter.

She sat down on the pavement of the street to say everything she experienced.

“The guy that took me nearly killed me,” she said with tears flooding down her cheeks. We tried to calm her. We gave her water to drink, and she started talking: “When I went to that car the guy asked how much is the whole night. I told him that it’s R350, and

he said he would give me R500, which I left with Mavis. When we were going to his house, I saw that we were going on a highway to Soweto. I noticed there was a road sign written Orlando, and I started to panic and asked him where we were going. He didn’t reply, instead he turned the music high. When we reached a dust road, I saw a dam and a forest. He drove the car inside the bushes, and there was some long dry grass so he stopped the car. He went to the boot of the car and took out a gun. He then told me to undress and get naked like the way I was born. He even

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swore at me, calling me names. He told me that he wanted to kill me and leave me cold. I pleaded with him to put my passport next to me so people can find me. He told me to hold it in my hands, so I did. I was shaking, and he told me to go at the back of the car so he would sleep with me and kill me after. It was now 2:30 a.m. I did everything he told me to do.

“Not even 20 minutes after I went to the back of the car, I heard sounds of wheels coming towards us. I was praying, thinking that he had called some of his friends to kill me. When I lifted my head up, I saw a police twin cap vehicle. I screamed towards them. There were three policemen and one police lady. They asked what we were doing in that forest. The guy said I am his girlfriend, and he couldn’t take me to the house because his wife was at home. I screamed and told them that he was lying. I told them that he had taken me from town for business and that he was telling me that he was going to kill me and that he had a gun with him. By that time, he had thrown the gun in the grass.

The police lady was very furious with him. She even told me that there were many dead girls found there in that place. The guy pulled one policeman aside and talked to him privately. When they came back, the police told me that they are arresting the guy and that they will come to take me from town to write a statement. The guy took out another R500 and gave it to me, and they called a security car to take me back to town to my work spot. And that is how I survived.”

After two days Prisca was at the usual work spot. She was with two Shona ladies, Farai and Memory.

She saw this guy, and he called her and said to her, “Your ancestors are watching over you. You must

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praise them.” He gave her R200 and drove passed them. When he left, Prisca told Farai and Memory the story of the guy and what happened when he tried to kill her.

After two hours this guy showed up again. This time around he called Memory and asked her to come and do business with him, but Memory refused and told him what Prisca had said. The guy was very angry and called Prisca. According to Prisca, Memory had told the guy that Prisca had said that he had tried to kill her in the bushes at Orlando. When the guy asked Prisca, she told him that Memory doesn’t understand Zulu, she only speaks English and Shona; maybe it was a misunderstanding. Prisca was scared for her life.

Memory jumped inside the car and left. Prisca went to Farai and told her that what she told them about the guy was the truth. The guy is a killer. Farai didn’t believe her and told her that she was jealous because her friend had been paid R500 for the whole night. Memory was last seen that day. No one knows what happened to her.

I was accompanied by Prisca to go and talk to Farai in Hillbrow where she now has a table of vegetables that she is selling.

I asked her, “What happened to Memory?” She told me that she has no clue what happened to her. Even Memory’s parents were asking her

what happened, and she told them what Prisca had told her. They wanted to come to talk to Prisca and ask where the guy stayed, but Farai told them that the guy is a client and Prisca doesn’t know him.

I even asked her if she ever went to the police to report the case of a missing person. She said, “no,” because she was also scared that she had no passport and that she was doing sex work.

I hope that one day people will treat sex workers as human beings, and sex workers can feel safe to go and report crimes to the police.

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Mlungu Boom to Us by

Ziyanda, Reporter

One Friday night, we were at the street corner in Birnam. I was standing there with my other three friends. There came a meter taxi with two white guys as passengers. They chose me and one of my other friends. They asked how much for the whole night in Sandton. We wanted to charge them R1000 each, but they said no it is too much and they can only give us R500 each plus R100 for transport in the morning. We agreed. One guy sat in front and one sat in the back in between my friend and me.

OK, we went to Sandton. All of a sudden they said to the taxi driver, “Drop us here.”

The taxi driver asked, “Where am I dropping you guys because I’m not sure which house are you going to?”

They said, “It’s OK here.”

My friend and I were also confused about where we were going to.

Then the taxi driver asked for his money.

The white guys asked, “How much?” He said R350. They refused to pay that money and said, “We can’t pay R350 for such a short distance.”

The taxi driver explained to them that it’s what they charge from Birnam to Sandton. They paid the R350 to the taxi driver.

I said to my friend in Zulu, “Chomie, these people, they don’t want to pay the taxi driver. Do you think they will pay us?”

My friend said, “I am also confused.

I am not sure they will pay us.”

I said in English to the guys, “Guys, I think we are going back with the taxi driver because we are not sure where are we going to.”

They just said, “Here is the house.”

But they were not sure about the house because they never pointed the house out exactly.

I said, “No, we are going back with the taxi driver.”

That one seated between us said, “Girls, let me give you something for your time.”

He put his hands in his trouser pockets as if he was taking out money. He stood up a little bit, and he came back down and hit us in our faces with his elbows. Boom.

We both were bleeding at the same time from our noses. We screamed to the taxi driver and said, “Driver,

IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE Issue 14

we are bleeding!” The driver looked at us, and he started to drive off with us and them inside the car. He started to make some phone calls to his colleagues.

Three taxis came. There were two men in each taxi. They were ready to beat the white guys with sjamboks and knobkerries. The other white guy went down on his knees and asked for forgiveness and said, “We will pay the ladies!

Please forgive us!”

The taxi driver said, “Alright, let’s go to the police station because you beat the ladies.” We went to the police station. The police asked what had happened. We told them the story. They opened the docket, and we laid a charge of assault against the white guys.

The problem is that I lost my phone, and I never heard anything

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from the police. It is important to document your case numbers and keep them in a safe place for follow up.

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Tricked in Botswana

by Chidhavazo,

Distributor and Contributor she was coming back. But she didn’t come. The driver started to touch me all over my body. When I asked him why he is doing this to me, he said, “Your sister said you are going to sleep here with me.’’ I started crying, but it did not work because I did not know where to go or where I was. By that time, the driver was ready to sleep with me without using a condom, and I did not even know his name. I did not know where the police station was.

In the morning the driver went with me to where he was going to unload the goods he was carrying, and he slept again with me the second evening without using condoms. The driver was saying he came from South Africa. My friend came to take me back where we were staying, and she talked to the driver again in Setswana. She said to me, “Let’s go.”

It was in 2008 when I was suffering in my country with my three children: two boys, one girl. I did not have a husband or someone who could help me with money for school fees for the kids and provide food for us. One day on a Sunday morning going to church, I meet a single mother like me going to church as well. We started to tell each other about our problems that we have been facing as single mothers. Me, I did not know that she was doing sex work business, and she never said anything about sex work to me after our discussion on our way to church. We had the Sunday service. After the service, I took my friend to show her where I was staying, and we had lunch together.

She promised to help me with money to go to Gaborone in Botswana to do some part-time jobs like washing clothes and dishes, sweeping the house, and doing any other handiwork that I could manage. When we arrived in Gaborone, I was surprised because

my friend took me to a place where there were many people from my country doing part-time jobs, and each person was doing her own business like those stealing from shops, doing sex work business, and selling clothes. By that time my friend introduced me to the owner of the house so that she knew that she had a new visitor in her home.

I was thinking that she was taking me where I was going to work as a kitchen girl. After we rested a bit, it was 6:30 p.m. She told me to take a bath. After I finished, she gave me roll-on perfume and lotion to use so that I smell nice.

I thought that she was taking me where I was going to work. On our way we passed through shops, bars, and shabeens up to where the truck drivers slept. The place was having many parked trucks.

She knocked on the door of one of the trucks. The driver opened for us, and then she spoke Setwana language with the driver. She left me in the truck, and I was thinking

When I asked her why she did this to me, she said because she wanted her money back—the money that I used for transport to come to Botswana. She told me about the business of sex work, but she did not give me money for those two nights. Now because of the organisation called Sisonke Sex Worker Movement, I know that she trafficked me and I have the right to report the matter if I want. Now I know where to take such cases if someone is making someone else do sex work without their consent.

Report them to the police, Sisonke, or Women’s Legal Centre.

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The Hero in Me

by Ndumie,

Reporter

Life doesn’t always give you what you dream of. I am a sex worker, and I am proud of the contribution I offer my family. It may sometimes be hard, but I have learned that the way to success is not easy.

I am a lady, a mother, and a sister.

I was born in a rural area outside a small town in Pietermaritzburg.

Life was very tough during my childhood.

My mother gave birth to two children, me and my younger brother. When I was four years old, my parents passed away. We had relatives, but they couldn’t take us in their homes. They were complaining about the cost of living. My uncle moved in the house to stay with us, but it was very hard because he was also not working. There was an organisation that was a nonprofit run by a Good Samaritan called Ester Alm. She was helping sick, poor, and old people by providing shelter and food.

One day Ester Alm came to visit my home and found that we were very poor and sometimes we slept

on empty stomachs. She asked my uncle if she could take us to the organisation. My uncle agreed. So that’s when life started to change; we had nice clothes to wear and healthy food to eat. We started attending school. We were even told about the Bible. I started to see myself like other children with parents.

I learned until I did grade 12 in 2002. After I completed my matric, I joined the organisation to work as a child minder. Life was good; I started building my home and supported my uncle. In 2005, some of us were retrenched. Due to the lack of funds, they were not able to pay all of us. We had to leave and look for other jobs. My brother went back home to live with my uncle. By then he was doing grade 12.

One morning I woke up and went to a spaza shop to buy bread for breakfast. I met an old school friend. She told me that she was working in Johannesburg. She didn’t hide her job from me and told me that she was doing sex work. It was then when I made a decision that I will do sex work

no matter how hard it will be.

I came to Johannesburg with her to start work.

I am proud of my job even though people don’t see us as human, but I know that sex work is work because I can manage to do everything that other people can do with my sex work money and life goes on. Being a sex worker made me realise how strong I am because I look after my brother, my daughter, and my uncle.

We are living a happy life like ordinary people.

I still want to fulfill my promise to the late Ester Alm to donate money back to the organisation.

One day I will get that money and donate.

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Health Tip for Female Sex Workers by

Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute

Breast cancer is the type of cancer that develops from the breast tissue of both males and females but mostly affects females. It is important to know the symptoms of breast cancer because when detected early chances of survival are high.

Signs and symptoms may include a lump in the breast, a change in the breast shape, dimpling of the skin around the breast, fluid coming from the nipple, and a red scaly patch of the skin.

Causes Some risk factors for developing breast cancer include, being female, being obese, lacking physical exercise, drinking alcohol.

How to Perform a Breast Self Examination 1. Feel for any change in your breast tissue, such as thickening or a hard lump.

Prevention 1. Having a healthy diet and exercise routine can reduce your chance of developing breast cancer.

2. Put your right hand behind your head and use the pads of the three middle fingers of your left hand to examine your right breast.

2. Performing a routine breast self examination.

3.Press using light, medium and firm pressure in a circular motion, then follow with an up and down pattern.

4. Feel for any changes in your breast, above and below your collarbone, and in your armpit area.

5. Repeat these steps for your left breast.

Breast Cancer Awereness

The two most important things are to: • know the signs and symptoms of breast cancer; and • know how to perform breast self examinations every month a week after your period.

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Ask Dear Mastoep

Did You Know

by Dear

by Mosima

Mastoep

Dear Mastoep,

Dear Mastoep

Is it possible that I can be HIV positive but my partner is negative even if we don't use protection?

My friend does not want to do HIV test but she is sick. How can I convince her to go to the clinic for tests?

Confused Partner

Caring Friend

Dear Confused Partner,

Dear Caring Friend,

That is why the World Health Organisation recommends that couples get tested for HIV – and counselled – together. Receiving voluntary HIV testing and counselling as a couple means that both partners get tested together, receive their results and share their status with the support of a trained professional.

A range of prevention, treatment and support options can then be discussed and decided upon together.

The best way to start is to find out from your friend, what are the symptoms of her sickness before diagnosing. Seek professional guidance from a friendly nurse or any health practitioner without putting your friend on the spot because apart from being sick, I am sure she has other psychological issues she is dealing with due to her illness.

Best, Mastoep Dear Mastoep, How important is it to do a Pap smear?

Skeptical Dear Skeptical,

I also suggest taking the HIV test together. Though there has been a lot of awareness around HIV and means of minimizing the virus, a lot of people are afraid of being found HIV positive. Don't give up on her. Help her understand that this is a journey you are able to share with her. Also keep on being that good friend!

Best, Mastoep

A Pap smear can save your life. It can find early signs of cervical cancer. If caught early, the chance of successful treatment of cervical cancer is very high.

Pap smear tests can also find abnormal cervical cells before they turn into cancer cells. Treating these abnormal cells can help prevent most cases of cervical cancer from developing. Getting a Pap smear test is one of the best things you can do to prevent cervical cancer.

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

Kekana, Attorney

Attacks on sex workers doubled in Scotland after laws were introduced that criminalise the clients of sex worker. New Zealand decriminalised sex work in 2003 with verifiable success. Over 90% of sex workers said they had additional employment, legal, health, and safety rights. And 70% said they were more likely to report incidents of violence to the police. For more information, contact the Women's Legal Centre.

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.

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

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Photo Feature

by Chidhavazo

and Zyanda, Photographers

Chidhavazo

Chidhavazo

IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE Issue 14

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Zyanda

Zyanda

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Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng and the #sexworkdebate

by Katlego,

Editor in Chief

Izwi Lethu reporters attended a public debate on sex work (#sexworkdebate) hosted by the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) and Mail & Guardian’s Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism and Critical Thinking Forum on July 26, 2017. Impressed with Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng comments during the debate and compassion for sex workers, Izwi Lethu reporters wanted to include her in the issue.

Editor in Chief Katlego reached out to her for a comment on decrim.

Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng “The issue of Decriminalisation is crucial to the fulfilment of the human rights of sex workers to self determine what Work they want to engage in. Those rights are also guaranteed by the constitution of RSA which gives people the right to work in industry. Decrminalisation will ensure that sex workers can develop industry standards, they will be able to form unions, have non-discriminating access to health, legal, and financial/banking

systems. They will be able to report abuses by police and clients and other people to the police without incriminating themselves. They will be able to be part of other industries and professions as they will not have the issue of criminal records.” – Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng (MBChB)

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Reporting Police Abuse by

Mabatho Molokomme, Attorney, Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre

Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre is an organisation based in Johannesburg. We offer specialised, women-centred legal services that focus on justice for women and girls who have experienced violence or are under threat of violence.

We recently launched our Legal Clinic that provides services such as legal representation, legal advice, and case monitoring. These services aim to ensure that women and girls receive quality legal advice on their matters and more importantly that their cases are resolved quickly with the appropriate recourse in the justice system.

We assist in matters of domestic violence (application for a protection order), divorce, child maintenance claims, custody and access, and sexual violence and harassment.

Our legal support also includes assisting clients with administrative mechanisms that they may not be aware of. Most matters are primarily resolved through these mechanisms and a lot of people are unfortunately not aware of the processes and procedures.

It has been widely reported that sex work is one of the hardest “crimes” to prove. What often happens is that the police arrest women and charge them with by-laws such as loitering and public nuisance. There is sometimes violence used in the process where women have reported to have been assaulted and raped.

These matters do not proceed to court as women are kept overnight and released on a fine that is often not properly recorded in the books.

It is important to know that despite the criminalisation of sex work, women in this line of work still maintain their human rights. Legal mechanisms must be made available to them to report the violations

they face. Where there has been an assault or rape by a police officer, the matter must be reported and medical assistance must be sought.

If there is failure by the police to record the case or take the matter seriously, there is a process with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) that can be followed to bring the police officers to account.

Note that IPID will only investigate in cases in which there is:

which include failure to investigate, failure to assist, failure to give feedback, rudeness, and police misconduct. These matters are now dealt with by the police inspectorate in the offices of the SAPS provincial commissioner.

You have the right to have your matter heard. A complaint against the Police may be lodged in person at an IPID office in any province, or by telephone, letter or email.

• A complaint lodged in person, by telephone, by letter or e-mail to any IPID office; • Any deaths in police custody; • Deaths as a result of police actions; • A complaint relating to the discharge of an official firearm by any police officer; • Rape by a police officer, whether the police officer is on or off duty; • Rape of any person while that person is in police custody; • Any complaint of torture or assault against a police officer in the execution of his or her duties.

The IPID may investigate corruption matters within the police initiated by the executive director on his or her own, or after the receipt of a complaint from a member of the public as the case may be. This is relevant in instances where sex workers are arrested and charged with fines that the police do not record and instead take money from the sex workers for themselves.

IPID does not deal with the following matters: • Non-compliance with the Domestic Violence Act by SAPS members.

Complaints of non-compliance with this act will be handled by the secretariat of the police.

• Service delivery complaints against SAPS and MPS members,

Contact this office for a referral to an office in your area: Physical: City Forum Building, 114 Madiba Street, Pretoria Postal: Private Bag X941, Pretoria, 0001 Tel: 012 399 0000 Fax: 012 399 0144 Email: complaints@ipid.gov.za

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Know your Sisonke Leaders: Kholi Buthelezi

by Ndumie,

Reporter

Interview with Kholi Buthelezi, Sisonke National Coordinator After a few days of trying to pin her down, I finally got the opportunity to talk to one of the biggest voices in activism, Kholi Buthelezi, the South African National Coordinator for Sisonke, the sex worker led movement. I was nervous to be interviewing this famous leader, but she was nice, approachable, and calm. On the 27th of July 2017 at the Reef Hotel, she made time to talk to me during her lunch hour, and she answered all of my questions.

Ndumie: Kholi, you are the National Coordinator of Sisonke, how did you get to this position?

Kholi: I first participated in SWEAT meetings where they were capacitating sex workers with human rights knowledge. By then I was involved with WRHI as a peer educator. I then later applied for a position at SWEAT to coordinate outreach. When time goes on then I became a National Coordinator.

This all happened because of the

passion that I had for working with sex workers. During my attendance of SWEAT meetings, I got to be nominated to represent sex workers in Gauteng. And eventually I moved to the national level.

Ndumie: What drives you to do this activist work?

Kholi: Through the experiences and challenges that I have faced like living in Hillbrow and seeing life style treatment toward sex workers from clients, management, health facilities, police, and the community—that’s when my activism began. I felt that there needed to be someone who is protecting and promoting health and human rights for sex workers.

Ndumie: Where did you grow up?

Kholi: Born and raised in KZN (KwaZulu Natal, South Africa).

Ndumie: Tell us more about yourself outside Sisonke.

Kholi: I am an easy engaging person with a good heart, but I do not want misbehaving people within family or out of the family. The same respect and treatment that I give, I expect to get it back. Something that people don’t know about me is that my family is my number one priority.

Ndumie: What’s your dream car?

And why?

Kholi: The brand doesn’t matter as long as it’s affordable, light on petrol but big so that I can be able to take my family with me.

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Learn About AC2 by

Steve Letsike, Access Chapter 2

Access Chapter 2 (AC2) is a non-profit organisation (NPO) registered in 2014. AC2 promotes human rights, empowerment, and advocacy of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex people (LGBTI), youth, women, and girls in their diversity. The organisation’s vision is a world in which women and LGBTI people have equal access to services and human rights.

This is achieved by creating and coordinating platforms of engagement, developing innovative programmes, and ensuring active empowerment. This allows for transformation of knowledge on community systems strengthening and building solidarity within civil society and its various sectors.

Activities and Programmes include coordination and building solidarity. AC2 achieves coordination within the spectrum of human rights in various ways.

The organisation participates in the South Africa National AIDs Council (SANAC) platform. AC2 is part of the SANAC LGBTI Sector and has been the administrative host of LGBTI empowerment and advocacy activities and workshops including LGBTI Youth Camp, LGBTI Symposium, and LGBTI Games. AC2 also participated in the compilation of the first LGBTI Plan in South Africa.

AC2 is a member of the National Task team. AC2 coordinates consultations and plays a prominent role in monitoring hate speech and hate crimes against LGBTI. Furthermore, the organisation is a member of the Common Wealth Equality Network where it advocates for the rights of LGBTI in common wealth countries. In terms of advocacy and legal support, AC2 hosts community safe space programmes, namely, Amaqhawe: transgender Project, LGBTI, Youth Chapter and LGBTI Migrant Space.

AC2 provides legal support by legal referral and provides legal advice, case intake, and case follow up.

Furthermore AC2 supports clients through the justice system, from supporting clients in reporting the case, prosecutions, and until sentencing.

Since its establishment, AC2 has trained members of the South African Police Services, health care workers, social workers, and NGO workers; furthermore, AC2 has facilitated dialogues with general community members in order to enhance social cohesion and awareness so that people can live freely and safe in their communities. The AC2 launched a national campaign in 2015, the “I serve equally” campaign, with the Department of Justice (DOJCD) and the National Task Team on Hate Crimes. The goal of the Campaign is to ensure that LGBTI have equal access to their legal rights by building competency within public servants to ensure every citizen can be served equally.

AC2’s work is informed by research and the communities it serves in order to meet the organisation’s objectives, to advance its mission, and to ensure that its programmes are tailored to meet our client’s needs.

IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE Issue 14

18

Kholi's Desk

by Kholi, Sisonke National Co-ordinator

Hello Colleagues, Welcome to this issue of Kholi’s desk, which brings a lot of sad news about the SARLC report, an update about Sisonke’s maturity, also a call for our members, and how could I forget mentioning the support from our funders and partners!

Even though the sex work sector has been met with a series of stagnant and unprogressive legislation when it comes to the decriminalisation of sex work in South Africa, like the SALRC report, which has proven government’s disinterest in recognising sex work as work by imposing their moralistic views and sidelining rights and voices of sex workers. With all that negative cloud hanging over us, we do not see this as any form of defeat, rather a fitness test.

We are also proud to announce that as Sisonke we have received our NPO certificate. We thank all our supporters who have carried us through this time;

specifically we have to thank SWEAT for nurturing and grooming us to our independent phase. We could not have done or get to where we are without the support and solidarity.

We also would like to thank our funders who have guided and assisted us from registration process to the process up to the end: Red Umbrella, WHRI, Global Fund, NSWP, SANAC, Sisonke members, and our partners. I specifically have to extend our appreciation to African Centre for Migration and Society (ACMS) for their dedication in making sure that Izwi Lethu documents the stories of sex work as written by sex workers.

Without beating around the bush, I would like to plead with all our members to reflect on what brought us into the industry as we are all advocating for the decriminalization of sex work in South Africa. Please take responsible decisions in planning for your lives and after life, like organising for ourselves savings and burial schemes so that we do not find

ourselves having to ask for donations and having to track people’s families when they are sick and cannot take care of themselves. It is very embarrassing and difficult for us to be taken seriously by those who see the sex work sector as useless if we do not plan for our lives and our own futures; we are now being seen as a burden, which is a bad reflection on us and the sector.

Also I would like to celebrate the life of a friend, a sister, and a builder who has helped all of us and was very key at the inception of Sisonke and in moulding my professional life, Velda Lucas, who recently passed away. As SWEAT and Sisonke and all those who have worked with her, we have not only lost a friend but a friend, strategist, and visionary, who was not only committed to making sure that sex workers are recognised but they all have enough capacity and skills to stand up on their own.

Return If Possible.

Kholi

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