IZINHLANGANO ezilwela amalungelo wabantu abathengisa ngomzimba zithi zifuna ukuthi uhulumeni ukusukumele phezulu ukuphepha kwabo, kuphasiswe nomthetho ozogunyaza ukuthengisa ngomzimba, kube nezinhlelo zokufundisa nangezokuphepha ukuze kuzogwemeka ukusabalala kwezifo.
Lokhu kwenzeke kwisigcawu ebesihlelwe iSishayamthetho sesifundazwe i-Inaugural Sex Workers’ Symposium muva nje. Besithanyelwe abezinhlangano kuzo okubalwa iSisonke, Asijiki, Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (Sweat) neMothers for the Future (M4F), sibanjwe ngaphansi kwesiqubulo esithi “I am, we are Human”. Kuvele nokuthi abathengisa ngomzimba bayesaba ukuyobika emaphoyiseni uma beyizisulu zobugebengu ngoba besabela ukuboshwa ngenxa yokuthengisa umzimba, kanti abanye bathunjwa kwamanye amazwe, bakuleli ngokungemthetho. Abezinhlangano bakhale nangokuhlukunyezwa kwabathengisa ngomzimba ezikhungweni zezempilo. UNks Nokwanda Gambushe weSisonke, uthe bayakujabulela ukuthi uhulumeni usuthathe igxathu lokubonisana nabo ngezinyathelo okumele zithathwe ukuguqula isimo. Uthe bafisa kuphinde kube nendlela yokujezisa amaphoyisa ahlukumeza abantu abathengisa ngomzimba, kuthuthukiswe uhlelo lokubika lokhu.
Odabeni lokuhlukunyezwa kwabathengisa ngomzimba, uMajor General Phumelele Makhoba obeyingxenye yesithangami, uthembise abenza lo msebenzi ukuthi amaphoyisa ayazwelana nabo. Uthe amaphoyisa anemithetho asebenza ngaphansi kwawo, akekho onelungelo lokuhlukumeza omunye umuntu. “Uma uzwa engathi uhlukunyezwe oyilunga lombutho, phuthuma uye esiteshini samaphoyisa kukhona ozokusiza. Uma ungagculiseki, unelungelo lokucela uMphathi wesiteshi, kumele unikwe nayo yonke imininingwane oyicelayo. Umbutho usebenzela wonke umuntu, awukhethi uhlobo lomsebenzi owenzayo,” kusho uMakhoba. Uveze ukuthi KwaZulu-Natal izindawo ezinamacala amaningi avuliwe ahlobene nokuthengisa umzimba kubalwa iDurban Central, Umbilo, Margate, Point Road, Port Shepston, Greytown, Pitermaritzburg, Bellair, Scottsborough kanye noThongathi. Amacala amaningi avulwa uma sekuhwalele.
Lokhu bekuyisiqalo sezinhlelo ezehlukene lapho iSishayamthetho sesifundazwe sizobe siqoqa imibono yezakhamuzi ngalolu daba. Yonke imibono ezokolekwa izovezwa ePhalamende lesifundazwe, isinqumo sesiyothathwa abaholi bamaqembu epolitiki abayingxenye yaleli Phalamende. UNks Dudu Dlamini weSweat, uthe bafuna konke abakuphakamisile kube sekuphasisiwe ngo-2024. Uthe abakholwa ukuthi kukhona okungenza ukuthi kungaphansi ngoba kuzophephisa izimpilo zabantu abathengisa ngomzimba, kufakazelana nomthethosisekelo wezwe othi wonke umuntu unelungelo lokuphila. “Abantu abathengisa ngomzimba abanawo amalungelo eNingizimu Afrika. Sifisa ukuthi lo msebenzi uhlonishwe, sikholwa ukuthi lokho kuzokwenza ukuthi abantu bewahlonipha amalungelo abantu abathengisa ngomzimba,” kusho uDlamini othe iSweat izoqhubeka nokuqwashisa ngalolu daba.
