Sex and the City

We welcome the announcement that the City of Windhoek will soon start arresting clients of sex workers who, through their midnight adventures, have contributed to the growth of prostitution in this country. Unless amendments are made to the current laws, prostitution remains illegal in Namibia. Of course there have been arguments that criminalising prostitution was a direct violation of the constitutional provision of basic rights. But just like sodomy, and by implication homosexuality, prostitution remains a chargeable offence and those indulging in it will face the music. However, for too long, only the sex workers have found themselves in trouble with law enforcement while the key contributors to this trade, namely the clients, have enjoyed immunity. We have heard horrifying stories of how even prominent leaders of our society have been regular visitors to red-light areas of our cities in search for earthily pleasures of the night. If the clients include lawmakers, as is often claimed by prostitutes, there is always the likelihood that laws to combat prostitution could be delayed deliberately. Targeting sex workers alone while their clients are roaming our streets freely can be seen as discrimination by the authorities. Prostitution is a transaction involving two or more persons. It cannot take place unless there is a customer. Against this fact, we cannot possibly exonerate the customer of culpability because it was indeed because of him or her that such an act took effect. The City Police, who are the pioneers of this idea, must be assisted by the relevant offices which will be tasked to ensure that this idea is turned into a law as soon as possible. But we must remember that all major urban centres of Namibia have become the breeding ground for prostitution. As such, it would make no difference if the mooted law is limited to Windhoek. If Windhoek becomes an unbearable centre of these activities, the towns that have no such law will become the next destination for the Windhoek prostitutes and their clients. This means we might see a massive migration of prostitutes to other towns once business becomes bad in the capital. It is therefore imperative that this is made a national law and not a Windhoek bylaw. Windhoek in particular has become a hub for prostitution, such that even a young girl wanting money for beer can simply put on a kinky skirt for a quick buck.