IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE
Issue 15
Izwi Lethu
Our Voice
2017: Issue 15
A NEWSLETTER BY SEX WORKERS FOR SEX WORKERS
Editor’s Note by
Photo Feature
Kagee, Editor in Chief
Dear Reader, This is the last issue of Izwi Lethu of 2017. Our reporters have worked hard throughout the year to bring you stories from meetings, creative spaces, and our community. They have changed lives. I would like to thank the team and the partners that contributed to making sure Izwi Lethu is a success. It would not be good to not thank our funders for this project that is making sure that sex workers’ voices are heard. We hope you share this issue and other issues as our loyal readers.
by Chidhavazo,
Photographer
will be working during the festive season. Readers can still report the good or bad that is happening around them. Check the numbers at the back of this issue. The team wishes you and your beloved family a merry holiday season and a happy new year! Cheers, Kagee
This issue's photo feature shows some pics from around Johannesburg. Continued on page 8.
It is the festive season and work must be booming for us. I hope you saved enough money as Mastoep did warn us about the coming economic hardship. I will also be taking a break until January with the Sisonke and SWEAT staff. The good news is that the helpline Editor in Chief: Kagee Managing Editor: Kholiswa
Reporter: Ndumie Reporter: Ziyanda Distributor and Contributor: Chidhavazo
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Celebrating Sex Workers’ Stories at the Workers’ Museum by
Ziyanda, reporter, with Greta, facilitator
All the nine provinces were represented at the Sisonke Sex Worker Movement’s National Meeting in Johannesburg. We were discussing how to lobby for the decriminalisation of sex work. I was thinking about my work for Izwi Lethu because the more we write our stories, the more people can see what we are facing in this industry. Kholi then introduced the Izwi Lethu reporters to everyone at the meeting and explained that we would all be traveling to Newtown to see an exhibition of Izwi Lethu and the Sex Worker Poster Project, hosted by the MoVE Project at the African Centre for Migration and Society (ACMS) at the University of the Witwatersrand. Kholi told us, “You can see what other sex workers are doing with their own hands. Sex workers are not always thinking about sex work but they also do other things with their brains.” I was so happy because I knew all the provinces would see the work that we have been doing and read the stories that we have written.
ACMS researchers and other people there for the exhibition were clapping and cheering for us. We sang other struggle songs: “isililo sesex worker asihoywa,” no one takes a sex worker’s tears seriously. Keep quiet because sex workers themselves are no longer crying. What we are writing for Izwi Lethu is about these tears that we’re tired of crying. We as Izwi Lethu that’s what we’re writing so people can hear us crying out. The more they hear our stories the more they will take us seriously. The stigma around sex work will be reduced.
Before we left the National Meeting, Kholi asked for the Editor in Chief of Izwi Lethu, Kagee, and his team, including me, to sit at the front of the bus so that we could lead all of Sisonke into the exhibition. We were singing about us sex workers—or rather we were singing old struggle songs, but aren’t they also about us as sex workers as we struggle for the decriminalisation of sex work? The MoVE team at the ACMS hosting the exhibition understood this connection, inviting Judy Seidman to be the key note speaker at the exhibition. As a visual artist and cultural worker, she created posters for the liberation struggle in South Africa.
Judy Seidman then spoke. She encouraged us and empowered us to create more—to do more with our hands and our art to tell our stories. We can tell our own stories to fight against the stereotyped images of sex workers that we see on TV.
We carried on singing all the way from Observatory to Newtown. When we arrived at the Workers’ Museum, we got off the bus singing and dancing: “iSisonke izophatha iyoha!” We lift our thumbs in agreement to say Sisonke will rule! We danced from the parking lot into the museum where
In a Sisonke space, I call myself a sex worker proudly. But still on the street, people call me a “magosha” and tell me that I’m selling my body. It makes me feel small. I feel embarrassed when I’m talked to like that in front of people. But deep inside, I know that sex work is work. That is how I survive.
Everyone then gathered inside the exhibition, surrounded by posters that sex workers had made to tell their stories and let others know what we face as sex workers. Kagee introduced the Izwi Lethu team and acknowledged the researchers who were there, including Jo Vearey who made it all happen. We were so happy to be recognized by the researchers.
Judy quoted Steve Biko and then reread the same quotation substituting “sex workers” and “sex work” for “black” and “blackness”: “Merely by describing yourself as sex workers you have started on a road toward emancipation, you have committed yourself to fight against all forces that seek to use your sex work as a stamp that marks you out as a subservient being.” The crowd cheered.
Judy quoted Steve Biko again, and again to great applause: “Change the way people think and things will never be the same.” She explained that our art will change the way people see us and the world around us. We sex workers are survivors. We are also human beings. We need to make people understand that. When someone swears at me when I am working on the street, I just ignore them. But I want to teach them and other people about what sex workers survive. Even though I cannot explain all of this to someone who yells at me on the street, I have written stories in Izwi Lethu that show what’s in my heart. In a recent issue, I wrote about a party that my sex worker friends and I threw on June 16th for our neighborhood. We bought food—but no alcohol—and braai-ed and cooked for everyone. We asked the police for permission to have our party in the street, and we danced and sang with all our neighbors. We even invited the woman who complains about us to our landlady. We cleaned up the street after the party. I want people to know that story. Judy also said that “making art is a crucial way to breaking this silence”— the silence that follows when that man on the street curses at me, the silence of people whom society sees as not good enough to listen to. Like Kholi said before we left our national meeting, these posters and newsletters prove to people that sex workers can make art. We are more than our jobs. Our job just gives us money to feed our children. Judy pointed to one of the posters that says, “Tradition doesn’t pay my bills,” and added that “stigma doesn’t pay the bills” and “prejudice doesn’t pay the bills”. For me, I don’t know about others, immediately when she spoke about this, I thought to myself: just go do your job outside so you can survive and look after your siblings because no one will help you. Those people who curse at me
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won’t help me. Only I can help myself, and I have the strength and power. And if I work with other sex workers we have even more power and can encourage each other. I can’t yell back to the man on the street, but if I work with the Izwi Lethu team and we tell our stories together—we verify each other’s stories—then someone will hear our voices. My June 16th article is featured at the exhibition. I was over the moon to see it blown up to the size of a poster. I did write something with sense that could teach those people who stereotype sex workers that we have vibrant lives outside of work. I took a picture of a police car to go with my story because even though the police often see us as criminals, on the day of our party, they came and supported us. The posters and pictures say so much. If you were not at the exhibition, please go to the
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Workers’ Museum and see our stories for yourself. My colleague, Ndumie interviewed Judy after she spoke. Here is what they said: Ndumie: OK, Judy, I’d like to ask you these four questions. What drove you to make the posters of the struggle? Judy: I think anybody who was alive at that time, who was aware of the kinds of things going on in southern Africa, particularly South Africa, had a responsibility to try to stop it however you could. I’m actually not South African, so I was originally born in the United States and then I went to school in West Africa. My parents were teaching there. And then I went to Zambia and got to know people in the ANC and the liberation movement. The first poster I did for the ANC was actually one of the person—at that point I had been an art student.
Because of this funny history of being in Africa and moving around I had become very aware of issues around race and culture and so forth, and I had an exhibition in Zambia when I was visiting my parents, which some of the guys from the ANC helped me put up. And there was a bomb in the office the day after we put the exhibition up, and one of them was killed. So the very first poster I did for the ANC was for this person who was killed. I stayed in southern Africa and the more I lived here the more I realized that this is one of the fundamental—it was then—one of the fundamental ways that human beings were being damaged. There’s not an easy answer to that question. Ndumie: Are there lesson to us as sex workers fighting for decrim that you can give us from your time fighting against apartheid?
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Judy: I think the lessons which you’ve learned doing this hard work, it’s a really incredibly powerful tool, what I was saying today. I think you’ve learned that; I can’t add to that. Maybe the one thing that I didn’t say here but ought to be said is coming from this history of having fought an incredibly entrenched regime which at one stage we thought we wouldn’t win and a lot of people did lose their lives doing that—there was a lot of damage done—but you actually can win some of it. And I suppose having won it, you don’t then discover that everything’s perfect either, and there are still a lot of struggles you have to go forward with. Ndumie: What do you think of the sex worker-made posters? Judy: I think they’re incredibly powerful. As I said, I think there’s still a stage to come, that they need to be distributed in the society. And they can be used to get people to talk about these issues and see that there is actually—our society is doing ongoing damage to people by the way we treat sex workers, by the way we stigmatise. One of the issues that maybe these posters touch on but needs to be thought about is that many of the ways that women are oppressed overall are reinforced by dividing us up into different groups. There are sex workers here and maybe LGBTI people here and there are middle class white women somewhere else. But by making it so that we don’t even think that the other people also have problems that are a direct result of the way society treats us as a whole, we don’t talk to each other, we don’t support each other. And one of the things about those posters, is that it becomes a starting point to be able to see that this is part of our shared struggle. I think that’s something. If I had any suggestions about what might be an additional way to go with those is to think about how some of those messages could be put in that framework. I think some of them already do. There’s one that talks about “I’m a sister, too” – but that whole question of supporting, “I do this work because it’s how I support my family,” “I support my kids,” you know and so forth, it’s something
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that is very easy for people to identify with and to suddenly say, hang on, whatever I might have been told about these people… Usually the image that is given of sex workers is that they are destroying our nice families, which I won’t even go into the lies about that. But that’s why we need those stories. Ndumie: What would you like to say to Sisonke members who weren’t here today? Judy: I think you’ve done an amazingly great job! I think you should keep it up! I hope we can build. The more organisations we have and the more people we have—and we need to make links between each other as well—and we can win this one! Ndumie: Thank you for your time! Judy: One more thing that probably needs to be said at this time: I feel very strongly, many of us involved with cultural work feel very strongly, starting in 1990 with the negotiations when people moved into government there was almost a sense that we didn’t need to have the posters, we didn’t need to have mass representation, we didn’t need to have magazines, we didn’t need to tell our own stories, and that was a disaster. It actually undercut some of that sense of power and mass base that we had started to build. And the fact that people are now beginning to do this kind of stuff so effectively at this point, I think it’s very important. I was taking pictures while Judy and Ndumie spoke. We were grateful that she shared her wisdom and encouragement with us. I think people in power in South Africa are now hearing our voices, but they are still ignoring us. We must share our posters and newsletters with our sisters and brothers to fight stigma. We need more people in South Africa to join us in fighting for the decriminalisation of sex work. I was so happy when I saw researchers from the ACMS at the exhibition. I think our voice will be louder because of their research. We are telling our stories, but they are helping us make our voices louder.
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Judge If You’re a Saint by
Ndumie, Reporter
On the 22th of October 2017 at 11:30 AM my friends and I and other sex workers were in our working spot in the street in downtown doing our business as usual, chatting and complaining about the weather. Suddenly a grey Dodge car stopped, and there was an Indian lady in it. She jumped out of the car and started greeting and hugging us one by one, telling us that God loves us. We were so surprised. At the back of my mind I was wondering what was she on about. She took an empty beer crate which was beside us and sat down next to
us. I relaxed because of the way she spoke and her humbleness. She asked to pray with us, and we agreed. After praying she told us that she came to invite us to the Mercy Seat Conference for woman that is sponsored by the Christmas in May Foundation in Kensington. She explained to us that she wanted us to see ourselves as important no matter what other people think of us, and she told us that we are God’s creations and also that God loves us so dearly. I was struck by those words. The first thing that came to my mind
was that there are indeed people who care about sex workers and understand them despite every negative thing that people talk about. There is someone who does not judge anyone but welcomes us with open arms and still calls us his children: it’s God. Without any hesitation I was the first one to shout my name to be written down on the list of people who were going to the conference, and the others were afraid that maybe we will be judged there, so they did not agree to go. The lady was very happy. She went to her car, came back with cold drinks, and gave us all. She told us
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that the conference was going to be on Saturday the 28th of October 2017, and she left.
work unless they are in our shoes and experience what we have gone through.
We stayed behind talking to each other about this lady and how she is so humble, down to earth, and not judgmental unlike other people who see sex workers like monsters. We were overwhelmed.
After the conference lunch was served. We ate all kinds of delicious food including dessert, and we were given the leftover food to take to our own homes. We were given gifts: lipsticks, earrings, pads, sweets, chips, and seven dessert bowls. We then went outside to take pictures, and we were very happy. For the first time in my life since I have been a sex worker, I saw people welcoming us as their own family. It was time to go. We went back to the car, and the Indian lady took us back where she had picked us up and promised to visit us every week.
The big day came for the Mercy Seat Conference on the 28th of October. We were standing in our work place as usual in the morning as promised. The lady called on one of my friend’s cell phone and told her that she was on her way to pick us up to go to the conference. Not even 25 minutes passed, the lady was there at our work place. We took our bags and left. When we approached the destination, I was so scared and at the same time happy because I did not know how the other people were going to react when they saw us even though we were dressed decently. We jumped out of the four-door bakkie, and we walked to the entrance of the venue. There were three Indian ladies; they also greeted us warmly and hugged us. I was so touched because I saw that they were treating us in a respectful manner. We were seated in chairs at the table. We were treated as queens. All of the ladies inside the hall wore silver crowns, and we were also given our silver crowns. We looked like queens. There was a pastor invited. He opened with a prayer and preached about loving one another and the love of God that he gave his only son to be crucified on the cross for us to have an eternal life. He also preached about people judging others. He said, “No one has a right to judge unless he/she is a saint. There’s only one person who is the judge and that is God.” I was very happy to hear those words because no one would understand why sex workers choose to do sex
I called the Indian lady to find out more about the Mercy Seat for Izwi Lethu. According to the Indian lady, the Mercy Seat Conference is hosted by their Christian church in Kensington every year in October, and it’s only for ladies. It’s the way to teach other women that even though life can be hard, God will not abandon them. He will always have mercy on us, and we will be lifted up by the grace of God. The Mercy Seat is not only for sex workers but for all women. The church does not benefit from the conference, she told me. It is just their way to encourage women to be strong and not to give up. The Mercy Seat was really great to us as sex workers because we found the love that we wanted from a community and the acceptance of who we are. No matter what your belief is, let us not judge one another. Do not let people judge you for being a sex worker. We are all equal.
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Me, Mr Customer by Chidhavazo,
Distributor and Contributor
I must feel welcomed. I must get a quick service. Respect me always! Listen carefully about the money I have. We must agree on a price. Reward yourself by making me happy, so that I come back again. If I’m a difficult customer, make sure you work hard by giving me a good service. Remember, I am a king because I am the one who gives you cash! Receive and handle complaints, problems, and solve them! Always smile at me! Thoroughly explain everything before we go inside. I am always right because I am a customer! Remove the dirty stuff before I come! Always give good service or else I might tell others about your bad service! Ask me to remain your customer because I want to feel comfortable! Thank me, Mr Customer, because you now know your mistakes and how to fix them.
Photo Feature by Chidhavazo,
Photographer
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My Day with the Minister by Chidhavazo,
Distributor and Contributor
It was in August 2017 when my boss from Sisonke called me from Cape Town. She said to me that I must dress nice the following day to attend the meeting on GenderBased Violence and Protection of Vulnerable Groups which was held at the Velmore Hotel in Pretoria. I woke up early at 5:00 AM to prepare myself to go to Hillrand Hotel to meet with my other colleagues to go to Pretoria together. On our way to Pretoria, I was very excited because I heard we were going to meet the Minister of Police, Mr Fikile Mbalula, and other top officials from the Government of South Africa. We reached there by 8:30 AM, and ushers welcomed us and showed us the seats. After that they gave us coffee before we started the meeting, and I enjoyed that coffee since it is my favourite drink. After our coffee we started our meeting at 8:40 AM with the introduction of the Minister, Mr Fikile Mbalula, his deputy, and all the government officials who also attended the meeting. The meeting was for two days and the discussion was about gender-based violence and the protection of vulnerable groups, which include lesbians, gays, sex workers, mothers, and children. They taught us about how to be the police’s eyes in the community and to report cases of gender-based violence. That day I was very happy because it was my first time to attend a conference with top government officials. Since I am a sex worker, I couldn’t believe myself that I can meet the Minister at the conference and even ask him a question because some people in government think we are criminals. The most important words I learned at the conference were from Minister Mr Fikile Mbalula when he introduced the ministerial six point plan.
Ministerial Six Point Plan 1. All victims should be treated with respect, dignity, and interviewed by a trained police official in a victim sensitive manner; 2. Victims should be assisted in a victim friendly room (VFR) or an alternative room where the statement will be taken in private at the police station or other location providing victim support services; 3. Victims will be referred or taken for medical examination by the healthcare professional to obtain medical evidence and complete a medical report, including seeing to the health of the victim; 4. The investigation should be conducted by the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences I n v e s t i g a t i o n U n i t ( F C S) o r a detective with relevant training; 5. The families and victims of sexual offences, femicide, and infanticide should all be
referred to victims support services that are available within the precinct for legal, medical, social, and psychological help; 6. Victims should be proactively provided with feedback on the progress of their cases on a continuous basis. Report gender-based violence anonymously to Crime Stop 10111. The Minister said there is no time to waste time! Ayihlome!
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Beauty Tips with Lady Mya by Lady
Mya
There’s nothing as frustrating as spotting new stubble on one’s face just a few hours after shaving. As a trans-woman I always want to feel smooth and without a trace of facial hair. Laser treatment is expensive and painful and one has to go through the process several times before it can be completed. Shaving cream thins out the skin, and blades tend to leave shave bumps behind. So what now?
I have recently discovered the Epilator. Although it does not get rid of hair permanently, it pulls out hairs from the roots, therefore, preventing ingrown hairs. It is a small portable gadget that is extremely affordable. Ranging from R180 to R700. The other good reason to invest in the Epilator is that, due to the fact that it pulls out hairs from the roots, you can stay smooth for two weeks or even up to four weeks, depending on your hair type. If you consider how many times a week
one has to endure shaving, epilating is way better. As a result of the Epilator’s pulling motion, epilating can be a little bit uncomfortable, but still better than waxing or laser treatment. You can get yours now from retailers such as Dischem, Clicks, Game, and Verimark. Till we meet again, Love, Joy, & Peace! Lady Mya
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Ask Dear Mastoep by Dear
Mastoep interrupters (pulling out) is one of the causes of unwanted pregnancies. Be careful and always use protection! Mastoep Dear Mastoep, My breast is sore. Is there a possibility that I have breast cancer? Tender Dear Tender, Breast tenderness and pain usually comes before your menstrual periods and is often relieved when the period ends. But always check your breasts for lumps, and if there are any lumps contact your doctor for further investigations. Mastoep
Dear Mastoep,
Dear Oral,
Always when I finish with a client, I see my period. Is this normal?
Yes, if you have cuts or lesions in your mouth, any blood contact will put you at risk of contracting HIV. And you can get STI through oral sex, so you should still use condoms for oral sex.
Spotting Dear Spotting, No, it’s not normal. You should make an appointment to check in with a doctor, who will ask when last did you have a pap smear? How much blood do you see? Is it painful during or after sexual intercourse? If it’s a lot of blood with clots, arrange for diagnostic pap smear. Mastoep Dear Mastoep, Can I get HIV or STIs from swallowing my client’s sperm? Oral
Mastoep Dear Mastoep Do I fall pregnant or get HIV and STIs if my client doesn’t come in me? Pull Out Dear Pull Out, Yes, if the client is HIV positive, you can get HIV even if he pulls out and doesn’t come inside you. HIV is blood borne, so during intercourse there’s friction that may lead to blood sharing and HIV transmission. You can also get STIs if you don’t use a condom. Coitus
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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Our Kind Community by
Ziyanda, Reporter
I am Ziyanda, a sex worker. When I was based in Krugersdorp, my clients were miners. I never had any problem with them. They were paying nice. We were doing sex work under the bushes around the mines. Wow! I was making a lot of money. One day I was invited by my friend to another gold mine. When we reached there, there were lots of sex workers, including transgender sex workers. It was so busy. But they were working under the influence of alcohol. One of the miners called me to his shack and said he is going to pay me R1,000 for the whole night.
The next day he brought me back to the gold mine. My friend and I went for shopping because I didn’t bring enough clothes. When we came back we started to do business. There at the mine sex workers work day and night because miners are also working day and night shifts. We worked the whole day. The drama started at about 6:30 PM when we were tired. We didn’t have a place to sleep. My friend took me to her other friend’s shack. When we reached there, there were a lot of sex workers. They were busy drinking, and there were clients going in and out,
which meant it was the other spot to do business. The ladies were too old, so the clients took advantage of them by giving them small money. I refused to do business for that small money. The ladies started to shout at me and ask why I came here if I don’t want to do business? I told them that I came to sleep. They said, “Do you think that this is your place to sleep?” I was so scared because they were all shouting at me, and my friend that I had come with she had no power to defend me. One of the miners felt pity for me because he was listening to all the conversation. Then he called me and
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said I should come with him to his house. I asked what about his family. He said I mustn’t worry we are not going to do business. He was going to talk to his wife.
husband. I explained to her, and she did believe me. She started to tell me how dangerous my job is. I did listen to her, but it didn’t change anything because I still need money.
When we reached his house, it was about 7:30 PM. He introduced me to his wife. She was a nice young lady wearing jeans and a weave. She was preparing their supper. She asked me whereabouts my family lives. I told her. We had a nice conversation. Then she gave us food. I really enjoyed her meal, and she showed me where I was going to sleep. But before we went to sleep, she asked how I met her
In the morning she prepared breakfast for me. and I took my bath. Shame she offered me R200. She said it’s for taxi fare because she thought I didn’t do any business. I told her that I’ve got money, but she insisted. I appreciated everything that she did for me. Then I took my bags and went back to Krugersdorp. After some weeks I met another friend who told me about Rosebank. She said clients
pay a lot of money for a short time. They pay like R250 for a short time. We decided to go to Rosebank, and the business is good. Now I am based at Rosebank, and I enjoy being there.
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Beware of the Snakeman by Ziyanda,
Reporter her eyes, she saw that he had turned into a snake. The snake was black with red eyes—the very same colours that she had said she liked. After she saw that immediately she pissed and messed herself. At 12:05 AM, he turned back into a human. After that he said he wanted to see her fear, and he took her fear for himself. After that he said, “Take your money on the table.” It was R15,000. She couldn’t move because she was still in shock. He dressed himself, and he took his briefcase. Before he reached the door he disappeared. She didn’t see where he had gone to. She had to call her pimp to come and fetch her. Her pimp knew that it was Mr Snake because one of his other girls had been through the same thing. But he hadn’t told her because of the big money that Mr Snake paid.
I’ve been working as a sex worker in South Africa for more than fifteen years. I have heard the story several times from different people about Mr Snake or the ‘snakeman’. I didn’t believe the stories until it happened to one of my friends who experienced the same trauma. One night my friend and I were working on the street corner in Birnam. I was looking for a story for Izwi Lethu. My friend knew that I am a reporter, so she told me this story to share with you. That night we were busy with clients so she invited me to her place in Pretoria to tell me the story. The following day I went to the Sisonke office in Gauteng, and I asked for money for traveling to Pretoria so that I can follow up on the story. It was on Thursday. I had to wait until the next Tuesday, and I received the sum of R100. On Wednesday I went to Pretoria and met my friend. She told me that she had been working on the Internet for a pimp in Pretoria. Her name was Candys through the Internet. One day somebody called her. It was a white lady who wanted to make an
appointment for her boss. The lady said her boss saw Candys on the website. Then the white lady asked her what was her favorite colour. She told her that she love red and black. The next day the lady deposited R5,000 in her pimp’s account, meaning that Candys had to meet the boss the next day. The next day, the lady sent a limousine to come and fetch Candys. Then they went to a hotel in Sandton. When she reached the hotel, there was a white man waiting for her. The man introduced himself, but she thought it was a fake name. On the table where he was sitting there was money and lots of the drug called crack and red and black lingerie for her. First they each had a glass of wine. At 11:55 PM, he asked her to undress herself. After undressing herself he asked her to lie on the bed. He said she must not scream for what she is about to see. Then he got on top of her. He said she must close her eyes. After she closed her eyes, she felt something cold. Her legs were tied by something. When she opened
Her pimp came in and took all the drugs that were there and said they should go back to Pretoria. When they reached there, he offered her some of the drugs they came back with. She just had one pull. After that she saw snakes everywhere. Since that day, she stopped smoking drugs and quit sex work. She went back home to Cape Town, but because of poverty she had to come back to Pretoria. Now she does sex work on the street not on the Internet. I know it’s hard to believe, but the way she told her story made me believe her, because she was crying and shaking. Let us be aware of the pimps because they lookout for money only not for us. It’s nice to be your own boss.
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Guest Column: Sex Workers Legal Defence Centre by SWEAT,
Legal Defence Centre
Who are we? SWEAT opened its Legal Defence Centre’s (LDC) doors in June 2017 after registering as a communitybased legal clinic with The Cape Law Society. SWEAT decided to open its Legal Defence Centre in response to sex workers’ needs for increased legal assistance with issues specific to them as a direct result of their profession. The LDC is now fully operational. It is managed by an attorney specialising in human rights and sex work, a candidate attorney, and three paralegals. In addition, the LDC will be supported by consultant attorneys and international and local law students offering research support.
Criminal matters Offences under the Sexual Offences Act
Wrongful detention
How can we assist you? The LDC provides a range of legal representation, advice, and support services to sex workers. If you are facing any of these challenges, we are here to help you.
Civil matters Children’s matters: – Maintenance – Contact – Care Damages claims
How can you make use of our service? Our offices are situated at the SWEAT head office premises on 19 Anson Road, Observatory, Cape Town. We operate from 9 AM - 5 PM Monday to Friday. A friendly paralegal is always available to assist you with providing advice on the problem you are facing. All it takes is for you to come visit our offices. We also have a 24 hour advice line on which you can make contact with us at any time of the day or night, so please give us a call on 076 311 2543. Should you be located in Johannesburg, you can contact our partner organization, the Women’s Legal Centre, on 011 339 1099.
Constitutional and other matters Unfair discrimination on the grounds of gender, sex, sexual orientation, race, HIV status, etc.
Lodging of complaints with various formal institutions, tribunals and the Ombudsman
Sexual offences like rape and sexual assault
Unlawful evictions
Mediation services
Bribery
Protection Orders – Domestic violence – Protection from harassment
Labour dipsutes - Unfair labour practices - Unfair dismissal - Unfair discrimination
By-Law violations/fines – Soliciting – Loitering – etc.
Drafting of wills
Sex worker rights are human rights! Your rights matter to us!
IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE Issue 15
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Know Your Sisonke Leaders: An Interview with Zuki by
Chidhavazo, Distributor and Contributor
Chidhavazo: Hallo Zuki. How are you?
Zuki: Very strong, yes.
Zuki: I’m fine, thanks. How are you?
Chidhavazo: How do you like working with Sisonke?
Chidhavazo: I’m OK. I just want to ask you a few questions about yourself and your work in Sisonke Organisation. What is your title at Sisonke? Zuki: I’m Gauteng Provincial Coordinator, making sure everything is done on time and so on. Chidhavazo: How would you describe yourself? Zuki: I’m a down to earth person who loves to learn new things. Chidhavazo: Are you a strong Sisonke member?
Zuki: l love working for Sisonke because I’m able to assist my fellow sisters to fight for their human rights as sex workers. Chidhavazo: How do find Gauteng compared to Cape Town? Zuki: Gauteng is busy, a lot of noise compared to Cape Town, but I‘m adjusting. And I have an active, hardworking team. Chidhavazo: How many kids do you have?
Zuki: Two kids, a boy and a girl. Chidhavazo: What message can you tell us as Sisonke members? Zuki: If you are a sex worker, please do look after yourself. Read the pamphlets, get the information, and use it. Stand in solidarity! Chidhavazo: Thank you so much for your time.
IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE Issue 15
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Is Your Child Being Emotionally Abused? by
Ndumie, Reporter
As parents we don’t always stay with our kids full time. Some kids are left at home with our parents and some with child minders. I think it’s best to spend time with your kids like taking them out and having chitchats with them so that they can feel comfortable and tell you whatever is bothering them. Some kids experience all kinds of abuse, and when we don’t spend time with them we won’t know what is going on in their lives. I want to offer you tips that will help you notice if your child might be experiencing emotional abuse. I learned these tips when I was working with disabled children in an organisation back home in KwaZulu Natal.
Emotional abuse can include doing or saying things to hurt a child emotionally. For example, an adult can say things to make a child feel unwanted or worthless. A child who is emotionally abused might show the following symptoms: 1. Not care much about what’s happening around him/her; 2. Not react normally to pain, other people, or changes in his/her life; 3. Avoid a particular parent or caregiver; 4. Act more fearful, angry, or sad than would seem normal; 5. Not do well in school; 6. Hurt him/herself on purpose.
Let’s protect our kids from heartless people and spend time with them to notice if there are changes in their lives.
IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE Issue 15
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Read Past Izwi Lethu Issues Online by Sisonke
& MoVE
This project is a Gauteng-based newsletter by sex workers for sex workers. Sisonke Sex Worker Movement and the African Centre for Migration (ACMS) are partnering to produce a newsletter, facilitate creative writing workshops, print and distribute hardcopies, and promote the content online through multiple platforms. You can read the past issues online at https://issuu.com/move.methods.visual.explore/docs
IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE Issue 15
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IZWI LETHU: OUR VOICE Issue 15
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Kholi's Desk by Kholi, Sisonke National Co-ordinator
Dear Reader, I am delighted to be given the opportunity again to share the great work Sisonke has been involved in, invitations that have come through to Sisonke, and activities that Sisonke staff and members have been conducting. Sisonke conducted a Leadership Training at the Reef Hotel with 66 of its members from across South Africa, the training focus was to capacitate and empower new leaders to be more knowledgeable and become leaders of tomorrow within the movement. Sisonke participated in sector meetings with NACOSA, the Global Fund, and the SANAC Secretariat team. Sisonke had a meaningful successful meeting with the Sector Leader, who was elected. We helped develop a Sector Charter, which is amazing.
As the National Coordinator, I was invited by CHANGE (Center for Health and Gender Equity) to participate on a public event meeting with policy makers, advocates, and media in Washington DC. This meeting with the US Congress was very productive and engaging, and shows that Sisonke is now well known and a good example to other countries. Sisonke hosted its quarterly board meeting and is excited to share that we are now in the process of looking for a consultant who will work on governance and organisational development policies. This is progress and an achievement supported by Sisonke’s Board of Directors who are committed to taking Sisonke to the next level. I can’t forget to thank Sisonke staff in all provinces for the great work and effort you put into making sure that Sisonke is running
smoothly and the ACMS for all the publications about our joint projects. I would like to ask that we try as much as we can to stay safe as you all know that it is December time and everyone is excited to go home or stay wherever we are, but it is important that we protect ourselves and be safe at all times. Wishing you a great Christmas and happy new year in advance! Those who read Izwi Lethu, please keep on reading in order to connect and catch up with the happenings of Sisonke and partners and interesting pieces that are captured here and be sure to mobilise other colleagues to read Izwi Lethu and smile all the time because it is unique and interesting! Yours in solidarity, 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