Friday, March 29, 2024

Lusaka Sex workers threaten to thump Police officers who will execute the order to get them off the street

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SEX workers have threatened to ‘thump’ police officers, daring to execute Lusaka Province Minister Gerry Chanda’s order of removing them from their hot-spots.

The sex workers say they would gang up and confront any police attempts even by throwing stones and protect their money-spinning territories on the Lusaka city streets, which include those in Rhodespark, Northmead, Kabwata and Emmasdale townships.

But police spokesperson Elizabeth Kanjela said no matter the resistance from the sex workers, law-enforcement would still prevail.

The sex workers observed that Colonel Chanda’s recent order was issued without a thorough process of consultation with stakeholders, including the affected women themselves, who were just providing a service to stranded men.

A Sunday Times team that visited the sex workers in the streets of Lusaka revealed that it was business-as-usual and more money in their pockets despite the observations by Col Chanda.

The sex workers trashed Col Chanda’s attempts to thwart them off their cherished ‘jobs’ saying economic hardships leading to poverty had forced them to work on the streets and provide sexual services in exchange for local or foreign currency or, come what may, as long as it would earn them a living.

[pullquote]“Police are in for a surprise if they dare come here to arrest us. We will stone them, they should not even dare to come near. We are earning a living, we don’t have jobs and we don’t follow men in their homes. They come on their own”.[/pullquote]

Christie Nsama found in one of the streets in Lusaka’s Rhodespark Township, a popular area for sex workers, warned that “police are in for a surprise if they dare come here to arrest us. We will stone them, they should not even dare to come near.  We are earning a living, we don’t have jobs and we don’t follow men in their homes. They come on their own”.

Ms Nsama, 19, said she had been operating from Lagos Road for two years but orders passed by Col Chanda were unfair. She was flanked by four other ladies.  She said there was nothing wrong with their business to warrant arrests.

On HIV/AIDS, Ms Nsama said sex workers were aware of the pandemic and encouraged each other to use protection.

“We are not dull. As much as we are in this business, we ensure that we use protection. I go for VCT more often than other women and we encourage each other here but if a client wants to have unprotected sex, then they pay more.  That is the rule of the game around here,” she said smiling.
Agatha Tembo claimed that after hearing of Col Chanda’s pronouncement, the sex workers had to plan the way forward and agreed on their game-plan to counter being removed.

“We heard about the pronouncement by the minister but we need to survive. So we will stand our ground,” she said.

Her sister, Nelly Tembo said she did not see the rationale behind Col Chanda’s announcement, saying the girls were not a threat to anyone but themselves.

“We come here and conduct our own business. We don’t mind what other people do. No one feeds us or our families, and why should we be threatened by this pronouncement?

[pullquote]“We are not dull. As much as we are in this business, we ensure that we use protection. I go for VCT more often than other women and we encourage each other here but if a client wants to have unprotected sex, then they pay more.  That is the rule of the game around here,” she said smiling.[/pullquote]

“There are prostitutes everywhere, even in bars and night-clubs, they are there. The Government should target them as well instead of targeting us,” she said.

Amanda Matakala, also calling herself Wildcat, added that it was unfair to remove sex workers from the streets, saying in her view they had not broken any law.

“Vendors are still on the streets, they are trying to make ends meet just like we are doing but unlike vendors we are not inconveniencing members of the public. It’s just a sexual service we offer to stranded men,” she said.

Some sex workers found operating on the streets of Northmead Township also vented their anger on the minister’s pronouncement, saying the decision needed to be arrived at with deep consultation.

Vaida Mulenga, 27, said she did not understand why the decision was made, saying such a step required extensive consultation with stakeholders, including the ladies

[Times of Zambia]

72 COMMENTS

  1. Sad state on affairs even prozies are threatening our cops, years of moral decay and neglect in this “Christian” Nation.

  2. Balekeni… they are right, they do not follow men..men follow them!!!!!.. If you take them off the streets are you going to put them into some sort of the programme that will enable them to still provide for their families????..sad.. but reality.. wish i could do something to help some of these girls.. it really doesn’t have to come to this, they can do piece jobs and believe in God for a break through.

  3. what about those men who follow them? what is the law saying.? let us have fair play here.

  4. It is nothing to do earning a living. People make money from working in restaurants, selling bananas or masuku. If those slots needs money, then they can earn start-capital in one night and go and open kantemba selling talk-time.
    It is all about ADDICTIONS to ukutombesha. They should demand for government to legalize adult-shops where they can buy battery powered dildos.

  5. Sex worker wrongly carries a connotation that one has a work ethic.For one who truly has a work ethic they wouldn’t be in this vice.Sex worker also sounds like one is just a volunteer prostitute.Whatever the case get these vermin and their disease carrying customers off our streets

  6. Leave the gals alone!! catch the “stranded men” by using the gals as bait. When there will be no business on the streets, the gals will just walk away and find other ways of making ends meet! Simple!! After all te stranded men will always find these gals, there is no where to hide when it comes to a hungry d**k!

  7. Where are the pastors in all this as christian nation because some this money ends up into tithe and offering. During the day these girls look like anybody else.

  8. And where does this sort of reality put us as a “christian nation”? I am sure the angels are not amused with f us for this mockery of God! Religion is personal. period. Not by some political/national declaration. Anyway,the sex workers are workers in a dangerous occupation! They put meals on the table and pay school fees/books for their families. Allow them to have places where they can ply the trade with strict checks/controls on, HIV, STI’s and violence/physical abuse. Allowing them to ply their trade on the streets is an equivalent to the chaos of of tujilijili trade and street vending.Time hold the bull by its horns.

  9. there are no workers who work having sex call them prostitutes period. both men who go there are prostitutes

  10. you were same pipo how voted for this pf govt,saying pawato pawato have seen today they are even chasing you were you feeding from.Did you ever heard mmd govt chasing you?then ask them to give you job,mind you nExt time vote wisely

  11. The laws of SUPPLY AND DEMAND.

    The reason they are there on the streets is because there is a demand for sex from the men. So, you need to address the problem of men soliciting illicit sex. Also, you have to create jobs for these poor sex workers. 

  12. amazing many sex workesr are bembas and chewes..doe it show some kind of up bringing or what…Tongas are few or maybe they are well mannered….so as lozis….

    • How do you know there are few Tongas and Lozis operating as sex workers? Makes me wonder, are you such a regular customer that you even know the “tribes” of most of the sex workers.

    • Good for Zambian male prostitutes, they are free to hunt for foreign gay men in hotel bars and lodges… how ever the ladies always empoly ” dolly boys” as escorts or bodygaurds, they stand a few meters away from the women as they wait for clients..

    • In other parts of the world those chaps are called pimps, the employ the sex workers on their patch and get a cut!!

  13. As we blog, there are hundreds of Zambian ( and other nations of course) girls in places like Jo’Burg plying in the sex trade in ” safe sex houses/ nightclubs etc). They send money and goods back home in Zambia and say they are in SA making good money plaiting mukule. Dont be cheated they are sex workers! And we pretend to be a “christian nation”. My foot!

    • Yes Zambians living in the diaspora and all they do is men kissing each other and women making porn videos and send money home as remittances and you call yourselves christians. It sucks.

  14. Good evening

    Hmm… I spent a bit of time figuring out how best to comment on this one without sounding disrespectful to the victims in the report or raising any false assumptions among bloggers.

    A fact to be pointed out: prostitution alone is not the problem to be dealt with here. Col. Chanda cannot simply shut down prostitution by issuing an order. It would be like trying to block water. It will always find it’s way of getting around the barrier.
    There are a lot of other (serious) problems related to prostitution that require equal attention in order to deal with the whole problem. Except employment, education, wealth and opportunities are made available to many Zambians and not just a few, we will have a lot of our sisters forced to trade their bodies.

  15. Well, that sounds like the policy applies only in the streets, how about those in bars who sit with an empty bottle of mosi for 3 hours waiting as though they are drinking? The bars will now be flooded, the price will go down as the supply increases. Land lords will not be paid, school children will stop school and some men, important men who can not walk into the bar and pick up a bitch will be now lonely….

  16. It`s paradoxical and incidentally funny  how Zambian parliamentarians are bolstered and hell bent on vigorously pushing for the inclusion of the Christian close into the constitution, while they, in the dark of the night sneak out and pick up whores  for a quickie at parliament motel.

  17. Let them get organized and build a place like “Red light” in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
      

  18. Complicated issue. Employment and morality key. Indeed government and the church have a big role. In Mansa, if you are not a civil servant or a trader what else can you be? Mansa batteries was closed by Chiluba a long time. Girls of the peri-urban who cannot become teachers or nurses or traders become traders of sex! What a job for the clergy. But force will not do.

  19. In Cape Town the law visits both the sex vendor and the client lol. It should apply both ways since the men are the ones encouraging it including the same ministers you find their prados parked on the streets. Chanda mst have become an enemy to the likes of Shakas.

  20. Chrstian Nation as you declared it just to hide from prosecution and steal harder from behind.Powerful works of Kafupi.Prostitutes are prostitutes.Chiluba’s admin called them commercial sex workers.Christian Nation?The PF should also find a way of empowering them 1st like TASINTHA before chasing them away.

  21. They actually sound very more intelligent in their arguments, than the Minister’s. Can the Minister please respond to these arguments these ladies are raising? The reporter should have gone back to the Minister for a comment to these arguments.

    Like it or not yes they are the main stakeholders who need to be consulted. I agree with the ‘prostitutes’ 100% in their arguments.

    What this govt needed to do is legalise this business in the form of brothels and allow them to practice safe sex and tax them.

    Else they should target the men who go to pick them up.

  22. Ba sex workers (especially the Male species) start with thumping chi M’membe .He will do you and then write about you in the post before running to report you ku State House when you demand your payment!!!

  23. This is the world’s oldest profession and how this so called PF Colonel thinks he can stop it vexes me deeply. Maybe he should first start with his colleagues at parliament motel, they should stop feasting on these vile nocternal creations of Chiluba’s SAP.

  24. Am suprised at you Boyz and Girls who keep on saying christain nation ,I agree its a christain nation but not the People the are ????????? i rest my case

  25. Wrong is wrong. Very soon our daughters will want to stop school and become sex workers. Jail those prostitutes pronto!

  26. Ok this is just too funny, the comments here have made my day lol! I hope the minister is having at least half as good a time as iam laughing here!:d

  27. Rehabilitation might help but only if they want to change.It’s easy to judge but imagine if anyone of them was your sister or daughter or even your mother.

  28. It is really shameful for a young girl of that age protecting that dirty business! Prostitution is not the only business that one can talk about. There are alot of girls and women who have engaged themselves in dignitary business that can be done in day light. Who do you think can even talk of marrying such a girl who has already handled even her father. It is really shameful for Zambians to be debating on such issues that have only one answer. Don’t support things that do not add value to our way of living.

    • Thank you no. 42. It seems you are the only person who has talked sense in this column. When something is wrong it is wrong not just because pipo are benefiting from it shouldn’t be considered to be wrong. Next we will hear that thieves have rights also to steal they are not supposed to be apprehended. Nonsense.

  29. Is col Chanda heading the Ministry of Womens’ Affairs? He was once a soldier and while on operations he survived on the same sex workers.Let him add them to his family then. It is not possible to remove them from the streets. Some are picked from as far as Fringila by truck drivers into Lusaka. Others have migrated to Solwezi Mining Town. Let chanda think critically before yapping.

  30. I agree that “stranded/starved men” should also be arrested, if they didn’t go on the street then the ladies wouldn’t be there. Arresting the ladies only is descrimination!

  31. We can’t eliminate the practice , we need it infact ma hule hmmmm…zuziba kuchinda not the women we marry

  32. Arrest the buyer 4 sex, then they will rot in the street and go back home empty handed. They will not go back as no one will pick them. As long as the buyer is there, then it is a share waste of time. Arrest the buyer! Period!

  33. Address all types of street vending PF, this includes selling merchandise in the day and also the other ‘merchandise’ sold at night.

  34. I don’t know what the fuss is about here. The pf government is trying its best to clean up the streets which is a good thing. My only concern is the pace that this is being done, its almost to abrupt and unorganized. Its seems no strategic planning has been done, or maybe just poor execution on the part of the government.  

    Prostitution is one of the vices that leads to the degradation of society, there should be no opposition to it being totally removed. The government should create camps for these women, teach them some skills, or give them access to special loans, and help them start small sustainable businesses. You can’t just wake up in the morning and say kick the prostitutes off the streets, that’s not right, your intentions are good but your method lacks empathy.

  35. what about beer drinking how many deaths are caused by drunken drivers. how many broken families as a result of beer drinking. why cant government barn beer drinking the reason very simple they make money out of it through tax though it is an evil vice. in same vein these sx workers cant stop cause they make money out of this evil vice.leave moral issue to god to pass judgement

  36. WE HAVE TO LEAVE PROSITUTIES ALONE, THE ARE ALOT OF DIRTY THUGS WITHIN OUR GOVT. LETS LEAVE PROSITUTIES ALONE, ARE INNOCCENTS. LET NUBBED MMD THUGS AND BANDA HIMSELF.

  37. Leave them, they offer a service otherwise defilement and rape are to increase to alarming levels. Wait and see.

  38. PROSTITUTION IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE AS PER ZAMBIAN CRIMINAL PENAL CODE! It therefore follows that prostitutes are operating an illegal business and if law enforcement agents know where to find them, they have to arrest them or be charged with being complacent! It is crippled psychology to condon prostitution just because some men use this illegal means for sexual satisfaction nor because drunken driving kills more people. Didier Korora, in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, self esteem, confidence, respect of self & others are the 4th human needs.In sny case prostitution is demeaning and usually co-exit with drug and alcohol abuse and both prostitutes & solicitors of it hide in darkness! Finally,Col. Chanda you have my full support, remove the prostitutes from our streets!

  39. #20 if we are to go by your well thought through ideas as the statement here “Except employment, education, wealth and opportunities are made available to many Zambians and not just a few, we will have a lot of our sisters forced to trade their bodies.”

    PF govt is then in the fore-front in creating more prostitutes in the sense that they are not creating new jobs, not supporting education meaningfully and when it comes to opportunities names come to play. This means those who do not belong to PF family too bad, some will only end on the street as prostitutes.

  40. I really dont know what we can do to help these our sisters on the street. The Government shod understand that it is not easy on the street. These our sisters need JESUS.

  41. # 53, these pros have been peaceful they have never disturbed anyone’s peace. they are just trying to protect their interests. pliz do no condemn them. the govt shod find a way of getting as many of them off the street. its not easy. lets not condemn them. all they nid is the LORD JESUS.

  42. Let them help the helpless Men, otherwise this Men will pour all the energy on the nieces and the neighbour’s children nga YAIMA NSHINDANO.

  43. Matter of fact we a are thinking of offering our services to the cops themselves if the raid is in full swing!Moreover,with cops we wont even use condoms.So,that Minister may as well just rot!
    Thanks

  44. Col chanda have you made consultations with commercial sex workers the we fear that they will take you to court you consult master chimbala he knows how to handle them

  45. I complement the step taken by the ministry of gender on empowering commercial sex workers.This is a very welcome move and as the government desires to reduce donor dependancy sydrome, Its just important to network with other organisations already dearing with sex workers which can facilitate spiritual guidance, behavioural therapy and also educate the general populations on the effect of phobia in the rehabilitating of our sisters and brothers.

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