http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20070623093019833C640380

Commission reviewing prostitution law
June 23 2007 at 09:51AM
By Angela Quintal

While top cop Jackie Selebi has mooted a temporary dispensation for prostitution during the 2010 World Cup, South Africans may have clarity by the end of the year on whether the oldest profession in the world should be decriminalised.

Justice Minister Brigitte Mabandla said in a written reply to a question that the South African Law Commission had begun its investigation into the legal reform of adult prostitution earlier this year.

This included the review of the existing law, with regard to making recommendations into the implications of:

* Retaining the current position;

* Further criminalisation; or,

* Decriminalisation.

A project leader has been appointed and a draft discussion paper will be submitted to this person in September.

Once the commission had approved the discussion paper for publication, it would be workshopped to obtain the public's views in this regard, Mabandla said.

'The inputs from the public will inform the drafting of the report on adult prostitution, which will signal the conclusion of the commission's work,' she said.

According to a recent survey, 79 percent of people were against the proposed legalisation of prostitution for the 2010 World Cup.

Selebi had asked the national assembly's safety and security committee to apply its mind to the dilemma of what to do with the thousands of 'soccer hooligans' who might want the services of sex workers.

This article was originally published on page 3 of Pretoria News on June 23, 2007

I doubt very much we'll see any positive movement on the law, unfortunately.

Guys, this is the thing: why would they want to listen to the 79% opposed to the decriminalisation and proper control of prostitution but not listen to the 75% who support the death penalty? (I do not want to open THAT debate here, please). In one of the papers I saw that a place had been raided in Kempton Park or somewhere. Illegal aliens were detained and some punters are going to be questioned. So, did the raid take place because of the human trafficking (which is an abhorrent practice and the perpetrators should be put in front of a firing squad) or is it because the place was being run as a brothel? Is it not time that we heard, once and for all, what the position is? Let's face it, there are hundreds of brothels operating right now. Why are they not being raided? Are they paying protection money? Is money being extorted from them? Why should a punter run the risk of having his life and career invaded for doing what has been going on for thousands of years? Legalise, control, monitor and collect taxes, that should be the right thing to do - like paying a television licence!

Jackie Selebis' cops are so useless it will probably be 2015 before they even complete their findings .............