Child Prostitution in South Africa in the 20th and 21st Centuries

Child Prostitution is a rising issue in South Africa during the 20th and 21st centuries. There is estimated to be around 28,000 children participating in prostitution as of 2013. Statistics also show an annual rise in the number of child prostitutes over these centuries. The major cities of Cape Town, Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban, and Port Elizabeth are mainly where the sexual exploitation of minors occurs. There are a variety of social and other influences that lead to children's participation in prostitution like racial discrimination, poverty, and high levels of sex trafficking. Children are often coerced into the sex trade through promises of jobs, education, protection, financial support, and marriage. The South African government continues to work to address this issue by amending previous legislation and working to create more protection for this vulnerable group.

Social Influences

The high levels of child prostitution in the country can be attributed to influential social factors. Racial discrimination is heavily prevalent in South Africa and is a strong determinant in the labor opportunities of non-white citizens. This is due to the Apartheid, a system of policies in the 20th century that that allowed for institutionalized racism and segregation against non-white South Africans. The consequences of this system was non-white people were unable to receive an education and were generally unemployed or could only find work as skilled laborers. As a result of the discrimination, many children, primarily girls, resorted to prostitution because of its immediate financial gain. The racial segregation also had major impacts on the working conditions of these child prostitutes. Prostitutes were separated by ethnicity and assigned designated residential areas where they were permitted to work. Poverty is also a major influence in many children's engagement in prostitution. Children leave their rural towns to work in the sex trade to financially support their families.

Child Sex Trafficking

The sex trafficking of children in South Africa is a major issue that contributes to the high rates of child prostitution. Children are trafficked from both areas within South Africa and from nearby countries.

Forms of Trafficking

Children are trafficked into the sex trade through a variety of outlets. In many instances, children are sold by individuals or groups linked to organizers who seek to exploit children through prostitution. These organizers are generally gang members or other syndicates involved in the South African sex trade. Children are also forced into prostitution by people who hold authority in their lives, like parents, relatives, or acquaintances. The children send money to support these people or are directly sold into the trade for immediate profit. It is also not uncommon for children already involved in prostitution to coerce other children to participate. Advertisements seeking laborers is another way children are brought into the trade. These advertisements will seek teenage girls for opportunities, like work in hospitality services, then sell them into prostitution. South Africa does not strictly regulate the use of these advertisements that traffic children. The last major form that exists is the cross-border trafficking of children into the country.

Cross Border Trafficking

There are three countries in Southern Africa where the majority of cross border trafficking into South Africa occurs. These countries are Lesotho, Mozambique, and Malawi and the methods of trafficking children in each of these countries vary. In Lesotho, children are kidnapped from the streets of rural towns bordering South Africa. The children are then brought to the eastern-central area of the country where they are held in private houses to be raped and exploited. After being sold for sex, they are returned to Lesotho or abandoned on the streets. Young girls from Mozambique are coerced into the sex trade through promises of well-paying jobs in South Africa's major cities, mainly Johannesburg. Once these girls cross into South Africa, they are assaulted and forced to be sold as wives or to brothels. Malawian children are also deceived into child prostitution through the promises of lucrative job opportunities and marriage. These children are then exploited as sex slaves or sold to brothels once in the country.

Sex Tourism

Child Sex Tourism is a very prevalent industry in South Africa. The major hub where this form of child prostitution occurs is South Africa's capital, Cape Town. The victim's ages generally range from 9–11 years old, and they often come from poor and problematic social backgrounds that force them to survive on the streets. This leaves the victims with little supervision from authorities and reliance on survival sex. Girls and boys are both sought for in this sector of the industry, which strays from the common trend that mainly demands young girls. Young homeless boys are particularly exploited by foreign tourists and locals. Statistics show significantly rises of sex tourism during major events that occur, such as the Knysta Oyerster Festival and the Pink Loerie Mardi Gras and Arts Festival, due to the influx in visitors. Legal regulation of sex tourism in the country is not strictly enforced and the victims cannot rely on protection from authorities as most claims are dismissed.

Causes and Motivators

Many of the children engaging in sex tourism are exploited by their own families or foreign gangs. Nigerian gangs are the main groups that pimp children for sex tourism, but Russian and Bulgarian gangs also have a large presence in the industry. These gangs offer children protection in exchange for their participation in prostitution. The children comply with the demands of their exploiters and engage in sex tourism because they need money, food, clothes, or drugs. Substance abuse is a common trend amongst these children and many prostitute themselves in exchange for a popular South African recreational drug, Whoonga.

Demographics of Buyers

Foreign buyers commonly come from Germany, France, United Kingdom, Holland, Sweden, Somalia, and Nigeria. Buyers are generally wealthy white males between the ages of 50–60. Many of these foreigners seek to develop relationships with child prostitutes and are considered regular customers. Local buyers who participate in the child sex tourism trade, travel from areas outside the hubs where these transactions occur. People who seek children through sex tourism often want a reciprocal relationship where they can feel they are supporting and taking care of the children.

Legislation

Child prostitution was a highly politicized issue during the mid-20th century. Policies regulating child prostitution were based on the fear of miscegenation, sexually transmitted diseases, and female adolescent sexuality. Child prostitution was used as a way to create stricter regulations for adult prostitutes and undocumented workers during this period. There was little movement within the government to directly address major issues of child prostitution until the 1990s. During this time, South Africa's government became focused on advancing the rights of children. They began establishing rights within the constitution that would provide more protection for children experiencing sexual exploitation. The government also passed several domestic laws that would help combat many of the issues relating to child sexual exploitation. The Child Care Act 38 2005 provides more protections and rights for children included in the constitution and works in support of other laws to prevent and punish child trafficking. It also ensures no child can be punished or held accountable for any exploitation that occurs because of trafficking. The Children Amendment Bill 2006 seeks to address child trafficking by making it illegal to send any child out of South Africa without parental permission or court order. It also creates further labor restrictions for children by outlawing employment of children under 15 and for sexual exploitation purposes. The Sexual Offenses Amendment Act 2007 directly addresses the issue of child prostitution by criminalizing all buyers and any party involved in prostituting children. The law also protects any exploited children by preventing them from receiving any legal charges related to prostitution.

References

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