Bulawayo’s daytime dilemma: Open sex work solicitation raises concerns

Peter Matika, [email protected]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

BULAWAYO’S downtown is experiencing a shift in the landscape of sex work. Gone are the shadows — some enterprising sex workers have established a daytime presence, turning avenues and streets into a centre for open solicitation. This has raised concerns among residents and property owners alike.

The situation has become so brazen that some building owners are even converting their properties into makeshift brothels. 

This stark contrast between the city’s daytime affluence and this “morbidity,” as residents describe it, is unsettling. Every evening, dozens of young women gather on these streets, ostensibly safe from police intervention. Residents fear this trend will corrupt their children and students attending nearby institutions.

“It’s like something out of a bad movie,” one resident lamented. 

The women engage in a form of solicitation considered taboo in most African cultures — standing on the street and directly approaching potential clients.

Take one building located between 1st Street and Connaught Avenues, this flat, allegedly owned by a former police officer, has morphed into a constant hive of activity. 

Young and older sex workers reportedly operate there 24/7, with prices ranging from US$2 to US$5 per encounter.

“We used to work from clubs and street corners within the city centre but now because there are lodges and are expensive, we rather do it from our own quarters,” said a young lady.

Our investigation found that most sex workers were between 18 and 30 years old.

“This is all for us to be the preferred service as compared to abogogo who operate in the evening,” said one young sex worker.

Sex workers are most visible on three downtown streets —Connaught, Fort, and Jason Moyo. Their presence extends to bars and nightclubs as well. 

Zodwa, a pseudonym inspired by South African celebrity Zodwa Wabantu, explained the appeal of daytime solicitation. She said there’s less risk of arrest or mugging in the afternoon. Zodwa also points out that struggling downtown lodges have become havens for sex work, even during the day.

“Usually they don’t offer overnight accommodation. The best you can do is hire my services and rest for 30 minutes at the convenience of your pocket,” said Zodwa.

In skimpy outfits that barely leave anything to the imagination, the sex workers wait outside their residences, basking in the sun from dawn onwards to attract potential clients. 

When asked about locations for their “services,” Zodwa explained they are flexible. Encounters can occur at lodges or at hidden locations chosen by their network.

“If we go to a lodge, you pay for the venue and my time, which is about US$10. Naturally we won’t spend 30 minutes together and my fee costs for an average of 30 minutes,” she said.

Concerned residents, business owners, and representatives from nearby educational institutions have implored the police and other stakeholders to intervene. They argue that the open solicitation creates an environment unsuitable for young people.

“I can’t really come here at night because of my strict parents. I am not allowed out after 5PM because they are afraid of what I already see and know,” said a pupil from a college situated next to one of the brothels. 

Residents also voiced concerns about night-time activity. They allege that established sex workers become territorial, bullying “newcomers” and women they mistake for sex workers. They also demand kickbacks for permission to operate in the evenings.

“They stand outside the streets from the time the sun comes out until it sets. There is nothing we can do but pray that the good Lord intervenes. In this particular case, where these ladies live, the flat is owned by a former police man and we have engaged him over the issue but he turns a blind eye. They occupy residency at the flat and have partitioned the rooms to accommodate each other,” said a resident.

One resident expressed concerns about a potential security risk. She fears illegal gold miners, who frequent the area at night to spend time with the sex workers, might engage in drinking and drug use, jeopardising the safety of the neighbourhood. —@petematika