ANC Gauteng believes the country is being too harsh on sex workers and has proposed decriminalisation of 'executive pleasure'.

The ruling party's branch proposed this during the policy conference held in Nesrec, south of Johannesburg.

Human Settlement Minister Lindiwe Sisulu told media in a briefing that this proposal was not discussed at length as it did not go through proper channels.

"Gauteng feels that we are unduly harsh on people who are trying to make a living and that it is the men who should be criminalised for what they do because from Gauteng's perspective, this is an executive pleasure resort," said Sisulu.

"So the proposal is to change it around so that we criminalise what the men as opposed to what the women do."

A report by the South African Law Reform Commission (SALRC) issued two policy proposals in May regarding prostitution, keeping the practice totally criminalised or partially criminalising

Sisulu said the conference was not too happy with how the proposal came about.

SA could soon adopt law which criminalises the buying of sex but not the selling

"We put it across as a proposal and a recommendation until we found that the plenary is not happy with that proposal. In the discussions we had, we had indicated that before we have something placed before a conference, it should have gone through the necessary discussions that we have in the Social Transformation committee. This one was sprung on us at the conference without going through the necessary process of consultation."

When approached for a comment, the ANC in Gauteng said they could not comment on the matter as this proposal now forms "part and parcel of the national policy conference".

WATCH: Executive pleasure resorts to be decriminalised