School girls selling their bodies in Hluhluwe

For as little as R20 young girls sell their bodies to tourists and sex-starved truck drivers. In some instances the tourists and truck drivers only have to buy a couple of beers to get to sleep with the young girls - known as amalulwane (bats) or amaphela (cockroaches) - because they only come out at night.

A 20-year-old prostitute, Ma-Vegie, who is said to be among the ringleaders, said boredom had driven her to prostitution.
"I was the only girl in a family of eight," Ma-Vegie said.

"I became lonely and decided to leave home and rent a room in town after I had failed Grade 11." Ma-Vegie has been selling her body since 1999, and is unsure if she has contracted HIV, but insists she would not go for testing.

Calling for an intervention

Local teachers, parents and non-government organisations are appalled and have called for intervention. "Though we acknowledge that there's a big challenge of unemployment, this is not the way these young girls should live," a concerned parent remarked. The low-cost housing township was established in 1998 so that people from surrounding areas, who came to Hluhluwe to look for work, would have a place to live.

"Only 30% are employed. Some of these girls are so young that they ought to be in the care of their parents," another resident said. "This affects other young school children who drop out as a result."

She said men who drove luxury cars came to the township looking for young girls for sex.

"We have even started adult basic education and training to encourage the girls to study but it's not working," the resident said.

Sibongile Ngubane, who runs Lethuthando home-based orphan care centre, said most of the girls who were prostitutes came from well-off families. "There is a girl whose parents are working but she is doing it [prostitution]," Ngubane said.
"She left school in Grade 11 after falling pregnant and started to teach and encourage other children - who also fell pregnant - how to abort their unborn babies," Ngubane said. "We tried to help her turn her life around but it failed. These children need help."

Thandiwe Mazibuko, of Star For Life, a non-government organisation, said she had approached several schools with an offer to teach pupils about social ills.

"We motivate them and promote entrepreneurship, and encourage them to use their talents to make money," Mazibuko said.

Police spokesman Colonel Vincent Mdunge said the problem had not been brought to police's attention but the police would investigate it. "If people are aware of something like this, they must report it to the police," Mdunge said.

Source: Sowetan via I-Net Bridge.