Kapiri Mposhi District Commissioner, Beatrice Sikazwe, has bemoaned the high levels of commercial sex work and prostitution in the area.
Ms Sikazwe observed that girls as young as 13 years old and some women in the district are engaging themselves in commercial sex work and prostitution as a means of survival.
In an interview with ZANIS, Ms Sikazwe said the increased levels of prostitution have resulted in the rise in cases of new infections of HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancies in the area.
The DC noted that mobility and vulnerability are the major drivers of HIV in the district, stating that most women are engaging themselves in prostitution with truck drivers and motorists because of poverty and ignorance.
“As you may know our district experiences a lot of traffic because it is situated at the junction of three major roads and two railway lines and because of this traffic some girls and women are found in circumstances where they are exploited for sex,” Ms Sikazwe said.
Ms Sikazwe stated that the incident rate of new infections of HIV in the district is too high and a great threat to the wellbeing of the people in the area.
Kapiri Mposhi HIV/AIDS prevalence is among the highest in the country and currently stands at 15.8 percent.
Ms Sikazwe has since challenged the District AIDS Task Force (DATF), all stakeholders in the HIV/AIDS sector and the police to develop practical ways to limit commercial sex work and prostitution and the spread of HIV in the district.
“It is a sad development that we are witnessing in our district because it seems we have accepted the commercial sex workers and prostitutes and the DATF seems to have gone to sleep to discourage or mitigate this driver of HIV/AIDS”, Ms Sikazwe said.
Ms Sikazwe noted that the 15.8 per cent district HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is still unacceptably high and needed to be reduced further.
ZANIS
These vices are acts of despair in absence of hope to find meaningful life. PF you have lamentably failed to create jobs or opportunities but perfected at shredding millions of Kwachas on induced bye-elections.
In Europe they test you before you engage in prostitution
In Zambia does that happen?
Thanks
Mushota, the question is…were you tested?
Solola Bye!
@ MUSHOTA, SO DID THEY TEST YOU?
Mushota you are a very proud prostitute
@ Junior Citizen alas Senior Citizen
Your former president RB the womanizer left the demons of prostitution and poverty in this country which are manifesting now. PF is working hard to address them
I the Kaseba said she will legalize the business through plot 1. why are you complaining?
Mushota, did they test you?
Watch the space as the cry of these oppressed and exploited masses in abyss of poverty avails much.
My worry is the reckless prostitution of the law by the man at Plot One. Ms. Sikazwe, I agree with you, and this, too, is a sad development in our young nation…and the courts seem to have gone to the dogs.
survival ni nkondo
Thats not news bane, Kapiri has been like that for a loong tym now… We need industry there which the president promised the pipo. Kapiri glass tho opening soon is not sufficient to carter for the ever growing population. The government is partly to blame for the high levels of poverty in our country. Prostitution is everywhere today, Luapula was also recently quoted by the president himself so its everywhere!!! Pliz PF there is a PF MP at Kapiri wat is he and his govt doing??? And yet u lie to pipo in Vubwi that development will only come when they vote for PF, are PF represented araes developed???? no no no no nooooooooooo!!
We found prostitution and we’ll leave it. Vya kulolavye.
Solola Bye!
Ka mushota, I think you suffer from inferiority complex, always looking down on Zambia kwati wafyalilwe ku glascow ka styopeti…proud prostitute ” ati in glascow they test you”…. swine.
its the industry on its own just get tax
So,whats the difference between sex workers and prostitutes?
Prostitution is the oldest career its normal and should be supported by helping them with health education.
Sex workers are recognised and and self confessed prostitutes like mushota in glasgow
I guess this is the only job in zambia which needs no qualification hence degree holders and non degree holders find it ease to venture in. But this can be good base for gvt to get revenue in the form of tax dont you think so? Anyway jokes aside this prostitution has cut across zambia i have been in chipata, ndola,lusaka,l,stone,kitwe,choma,chirundu,kasumbalesa,sesheke and not forgetting solwezi and mazambuka.
@ fake Zambian lawyers, who is a womaniser? The one with so many Children from so many women or the one who remarried after the death of his first wife? RB remarried after the death of his wife and this is acceptable. He has children from his first wife and Thandiwe only. Is that womanising? Prostitution will not be defeated by making laws. It is by empowering people with decent jobs and other opportunities that this vice will reduce. For now it will keep on growing because there are so many girls graduating into the industry from this ineffective education system and highly politicized environment in which the president is the alpha and the omega. We are a long way to go folks but we can do it if all of us stop being die hard supporters of unworkable policies of Panga Family.
There is need to address the root causes of such prostitution. Much has to do with the high rate of poverty and other unemployement-related problems. The quest for survival can be so much that our people may end up doing what they would really not do assuming all the factors were favourable. Rather than full condemnation, there is need for government, churches and non governmental organisations to come up with practical measures that will help alleviate this issue of prostitution.
Chimusoro is holding the economy of Kapiri to ransom. He has bought that glass company, which I believe meant a lot to those women and men around there, but the production is still far below its level so is the employment. Put those guys in employment and there will be less of people looking for livelihoods through such uncalled for acts
Solution: Castrate all men!
@ cindy ,,or seal entry point with concrete.
@ mushota, talk is cheap