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TRADING: A sex worker waits for business in Oxford Road, Rosebank, Johannesburg. Photo: Muntu Vilakazi

 There are those who during the day claim morality and at night they buy services from sex workers 

To justify the union's position on its call for decriminalising prostitution, Num general secretary Frans Baleni quoted the ANC's Freedom Charter, which he said protected the right of ladies of the night to trade.

"The charter says everybody shall have the right to trade in any profession. We think the profession in which people are trading should also be protected, but certain rules must be put in place."

He slated men who during the day pretended they were not interested in the services offered by prostitutes.

"There are those who during the day claim morality and at night they buy these services, some of them even go abroad to acquire these services."

Num will debate prostitutes and other issues including e-tolling and labour broking when the union holds its 14th national congress in Kempton Park today.

The union will also discuss the nationalisation of mines, but Baleni cautioned against popular sentiments that the state should take ownership.

"We have a clear position on nationalisation: Nothing about us without us. As Num we are directly affected. We are going to determine the future of the mining industry. Nobody else can take a decision on our behalf, especially those who have never been underground.

"State ownership is not necessarily progressive. We have experience (with) Eskom, and at the post office many workers were retrenched. Because these state entities are operating as commercial vehicles. There is no difference."

Baleni also said: "The judiciary must be transformed to address the questions of class, gender and race."

He denied that union leaders were taking sides on the unfolding succession.

"We encourage our members through the ANC to assess leadership (according to) performance and the ability to deal with current challenges."

Comments

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Wed Jun 19 15:21:31 SAST 2013 ::

May 23, 2012

Ngungumba

Legalise it, its honest money
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May 23, 2012

Ann

just look @ that chick ko Oxford road , jerrrrrrrrrrrrrr, wonder ke ngwana a ga mang
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May 23, 2012

MommaC

Please do legalise it. But legalise it with protection measures.
Mandatory health checks and registration as well as designated areas. That will help to cut down on abuse of the workers as well as the disgusting slave trade we are currently seeing
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May 23, 2012

zacoz'

mathaata! manyalo a mathateng___how can somebody cry for decriminalisation of moral decay...?
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May 23, 2012

RobinH

MommaC: My position exactly.
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May 23, 2012

CheeseBoy

@zacoz

what moral decay are you talking about. prostitution has been around since the dawn of men. we have been living with it all this time. even some marriages are a form of prostitution because they are based on a financial transaction.
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May 23, 2012

nkunzemnyama

Sick Sick Sick
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May 23, 2012

Shredder

@zacoz

Sodom and Gomorrah

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May 23, 2012

nevvybaby

Geeeez man always mommac im with you or my position just tell her what eating you and stop annoying us maan ,hai its too much late adolidoli ya tena maan.kikikikikikiki
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May 23, 2012

Papage

turning SA into Gomora and Sodoma, will that improve anything? econmy, human dignity or abuse of women?

Big No. dont legalise sex, only Marejwana can be legalised
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