Abstract
One of the social vices that continue to generate unending debates is the issue of sex workers or prostitution. Though it is generally recognised as one of the oldest professions but at every stage there have been calls by various local rulers’ religious leaders and governments to ban the trade. The prohibition has constantly reoccurred in virtually all discourse be it in the local or international arena. However, the proponents in support have constantly been at the forefront and usually canvassed arguments in favour of the trade to be legalised based on various reasons. As it will unfold in this article, some countries have legalised it while others outlawed it. This article looks at the phenomenon of this trade and raised issues which were discussed in different perspectives. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n13p861
Highlights
There have been ongoing heated debates on the issues surrounding the status and phenomenal of commercial sex work in South Africa (Gelb, 2004)
The debates became more vigorous and robust shortly before the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa
There were perceptions that there would be a drastic increase in prostitution during the mundial calls for prostitution to be legalised and regulated to help control Acquired immuned deficiency sydrome (AIDS),Sexually transmitted diseases(STDs )and for the protection of sex workers (British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC News, )2008)
Summary
There have been ongoing heated debates on the issues surrounding the status and phenomenal of commercial sex work in South Africa (Gelb, 2004). There were perceptions that there would be a drastic increase in prostitution during the mundial calls for prostitution to be legalised and regulated to help control Acquired immuned deficiency sydrome (AIDS) ,Sexually transmitted diseases(STDs )and for the protection of sex workers (British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC News, )2008). 2012 ONCA 186, has observed that “Prostitution is a controversial topic, one that provokes heated, heartfelt debates about morality, the court wrote in its opinion It is not the court's role to engage in that debate." As a result of this division, those who engage in the trade have been left more vulnerable and are usually at the mercy of law enforcement agents who most times, take undue advantage of them (Martell, 2012). Some commentators have expressed their views that the laws must be tightened to curb the practice and its growth but these views were expressed mostly from the moral perspectives (Melossi, 2000)
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