Teenage prostitution eclipses Sinamusanga

By Abygirl Mulonga in Sinamunsanga

 and 

Jacob Mumpande

Six teenagers and school dropouts calling themselves “the Joina City” in Sinamunsanga dropped off school sometime this year and are engaging in the world’s oldest profession of prostitution for a living whilst wrecking havoc in a community reported to be already faced with unprecedented deaths due to suspected HIV related diseases.

The teenagers whose ages range from 16 to 20 have sent tongues wagging and causing clamour and melee among community members as they are defiling the moral values upheld by a society dependent on fish sales as a major livelihood option.  The prostitutes are identified in their skimpy dressing, slack and loose language and usually target strangers causing mayhem.

In an interview with a teenage prostitute, Loraine (not her real name), she said, “I realised that bedding those with loose pants makes quick money to address financial doldrums. If you look at me I am as good as a teacher or any other professional ...at times far much better as some these guys in white collar jobs go for months without pay and we borrow these fellows money at a certain percentage”.

The adolescents who have exchanged books for commercial sex work target male traders regarded as the “big-fish” because of their wobbly and loose spending patterns that come from urban areas to make fish orders for resale. Top of the range vehicles are common site in Sinamunsanga and some bearing South Africa number plates.

“I slept over it for long and considered to take commercial sex as a trade and meet the demands of times and something which I believe is best for me than education which probably is the longest route to a perceived decent living. We sometimes “externalise services” to neighbouring Zambia when business is dry this side” said Joyce.

Sinamunsanga is located 160km north-east of Binga urban, situated at the lakeshores of the Zambezi river and sharing boarders with Zambia at the North. The community is also dependant on Zambia for common goods and services including mobile phone connectivity.

The community is typified by a myriad of fishing camps and experience high influx of traders from outside the district who prefer barter as common means of trade.  Besides the “new breed” of commercial sex workers, some seasoned prostitutes from as far as Midlands, Bulawayo and Harare who disguise as fish traders are locking horns and fighting fiercely to regain ground with their old clients.

When “business” is low the young prostitutes target teachers and local fishermen who boost the illicit livelihood source and in worst cases the young commercial workers skip across Zambia plying the same trade.          

The “new players”;  as these young commercial sex are at times called, charge a heap of fish for a round of sex because of liquidity challenges which characterise the fishing communities. Exchange of sex for fish is widespread and frequent in the fishing camps of Sinamunsanga. 

A local leader (name supplied), said “something should be done and this should involve the law enforcement agents so as to totally eradicate this problem of prostitution once and for all in our community which is literally spreading like cancer. Our community has become a hunting ground even for people coming out of district and this has impacted negatively on the social fabric of our society. “...other kids are in a state of confusion and can’t differentiate between uncultured, uncouth and ill-mannered behaviour from that which is good.  These teenagers have caused so much devastation and community leaders should act soon. ”

Parents to the alleged “ladies of the night” were not available for comment at the time of filing this story. Soliciting for sex for money is illegal and a crime in most African countries besides Ivory Coast and Senegal.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care this month reported a notable increase of HIV prevalence rate in Zimbabwe and Matabeleland North in particular.