He said they were informed that 13 women were missing, “meaning there might be more sex workers out there who have not been found”.
“We are asking the government, pleading with the law reformers, can you consider decriminalising sex work?,” he said.
“Moving forward, we are asking every woman, let's all put our morals, gender, religion and culture on the floor. Women are being murdered for trying to survive, working to make ends meet in South Africa.”
Amnesty International SA also shared its support for decriminalisation of sex work to provide some level of safety for sex workers.
In a statement on Tuesday, Amnesty SA executive director Shenilla Mohamed appealed to police and prosecuting authorities to ensure justice is done, adding: “More must be done to strengthen the criminal justice system to ensure it is a deterrence to the spiralling levels of gender-based violence.”
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LISTEN | Support for sex workers at court ahead of alleged killer's first appearance
Protesters calling for the urgent decriminalisation of sex work to protect people in the sector gathered outside the Johannesburg magistrate's court on Tuesday.
A 21-year-old suspect is expected to appear in court after the gruesome discovery of the bodies of six suspected sex workers in a building in downtown Johannesburg at the weekend.
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Supporters of the national sex workers' movement Sisonke chanted outside the court, holding placards stating “sex workers have the right to be free from violence” and “my work should not cost me my life”.
“This was a massacre,” said Sisonke spokesperson Katlego Rasebitse.
Rasebitse said the movement is supporting sex workers who knew the victims or were survivors of similar attacks.
He said they were informed that 13 women were missing, “meaning there might be more sex workers out there who have not been found”.
“We are asking the government, pleading with the law reformers, can you consider decriminalising sex work?,” he said.
“Moving forward, we are asking every woman, let's all put our morals, gender, religion and culture on the floor. Women are being murdered for trying to survive, working to make ends meet in South Africa.”
Amnesty International SA also shared its support for decriminalisation of sex work to provide some level of safety for sex workers.
In a statement on Tuesday, Amnesty SA executive director Shenilla Mohamed appealed to police and prosecuting authorities to ensure justice is done, adding: “More must be done to strengthen the criminal justice system to ensure it is a deterrence to the spiralling levels of gender-based violence.”
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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