Doreen Mokgolo
Zig Zag Road in Springs, Gauteng is the border for sex workers. One side belongs to South African women and the other to foreign women.
The line is sacred and South African sex workers are forbidden from crossing it. If they do, it could cost them their lives.
Sex worker Maria Skhosana said she learned that the hard way on Wednesday. After crossing Zig Zig into the foreign turf, Maria was assaulted and stabbed with a broken bottle.
“I didn’t have money to pay for a room and thought I could sneak into the bushes because it was late at night and I didn’t see anybody,” she said.
“But suddenly foreign sex workers jumped on me while I was busy with my client and started assaulting me. I thought I was going to die.”
The prices also divide the two groups. South Africans charge R50 more than the foreign nationals.
A foreign sex worker from the rival group who didn’t want to be named said she feared that someone will soon lose their life as the fighting has intensified.
“If one group finds you with one of their clients they attack you for poaching clients,” she said.
“We don’t have anyone to protect [us] and fight for our safety because we are trading illegally and the police will arrest us if we reveal what we do for a living.”
Springs police spokesperson, sergeant Themba Tshabalala, said the turf war between sex workers is a regular occurrence in the area.
“They often don’t disclose that they are sex workers when they come to open their cases of assault but when we question them it comes out,” he said.
He confirmed that they are investigating a case of assault. No one has been arrested.
Image source:Toronto star
