The rising violence against sex workers in Phoenix, Chatsworth, Tongaat and Verulam

Gender-based violence (GBV) activists have expressed alarm over a surge in violence against sex workers in several South African towns, including Phoenix, Tongaat, Verulam, Chatsworth, and Merebank. These advocates are urging for immediate legal changes and support for those at risk. Sex work is reportedly becoming more prevalent in these tight-knit communities as women take up the profession to support their families and cover basic expenses.

Dr. Daniel Chettiar, founder of the DSK Group, an organization that helps GBV survivors, child abuse victims, and trauma survivors, noted that sex work is rampant in Phoenix, Verulam, Tongaat, and Umhlali due to joblessness and poverty. He reported that within the past four months, they documented 37 instances of assault against sex workers, all of whom cited unemployment as the primary reason for entering the profession.

"We had about 37 cases of assault against sex workers in the last four months. The majority of them told us that they were driven to sex work because they were unable to find employment," Dr. Chettiar stated. He added that recent violence saw a 25-year-old sex worker tied up, subjected to sexual acts, and left with severe injuries.

Another case involved a woman who believed she was meeting a client but was gang-raped by three men on a beach. The woman declined to report the incident owing to the illegality of sex work in South Africa. Dr. Chettiar emphasized that many of the 37 cases they dealt with were driven by financial necessity, with some sex workers using drugs to survive and others striving to support their families, including orphaned siblings.

He acknowledged that while sex work has historically been stigmatized as immoral, the reality is that many women are driven to it due to a lack of alternatives. Dr. Chettiar stated that the future lies in regulating the industry and finalizing relevant legislation. Vanessa Chetty, founder of the Hope Foundation, echoed these sentiments, highlighting the issue of unpaid clients in Merebank, Chatsworth, and Shallcross.

"About 30 years ago, a sex worker was seen as someone who just sold sex on the street in exchange for money. That has changed. Now this is happening from their homes, especially in local communities," Chetty explained. She reported that clients often refuse to pay sex workers, leading to assaults. Many women refrain from reporting these incidents to the police due to the fear of being charged with prostitution themselves.

Chetty called for legal amendments to offer some form of protection to sex workers, citing the pending finalization of legislation that would decriminalize adult sex work. In Verulam, Prem Balram of Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) reported multiple calls about a woman found along Ireland Street, allegedly drugged, sexually assaulted, and abandoned on the R102 highway between Umhlanga and Mount Edgecombe.

Another incident involved a woman assaulted after failing to meet a client's payment demands. Balram noted that while the accused man agreed to reimburse the woman in one case, no formal charges were filed due to the legal ambiguity surrounding sex work. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development confirmed that a draft bill aiming to decriminalize adult sex work is under finalization.

While a specific date for its completion has not been announced, if enacted, it would eliminate the current criminal penalties for both buying and selling sex work in South Africa.