Glenwood resident contemplates moving over prostitution in area
Resident, *Chris Naidoo said the increase of prostitutes on Clark Road has made the area very unsafe.
A GLENWOOD resident has expressed concern over the state of prostitution outside his estate.
“They are operating literally outside my gate,” said *Chris Naidoo, who lives on Clark Road, Bulwer. Naidoo said he brought his property six years ago with the intention of raising his family there.
“Over the last two years, the situation has got out of control.”
“They have more than tripled in the area and it’s not a good look for the community and it is certainly not upping anyone’s property value,” he said. “You can’t even take walks anymore because that is no longer safe. I have seen people being robbed just outside the gate, fighting and every day we have to step over bottles, cigarettes and all kinds of stuff.”
The situation of prostitution in the Berea and Glenwood areas has long been a concern for residents.
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Parboo Sewpersad, Metro Police spokesperson, said they have intensified their efforts of trying to get sex workers off the streets.
“So many ladies of the night in those Red Light Districts have been caught in the lower Glenwood parts in the past weeks.”
“They have been charged with loitering and prostitution, operations are still continuing,” he said.
Sex work or prostitution or the buying and selling of sex is illegal in South Africa under The Sexual Offences Act. Sex worker activists have called for the decriminalising of sex work arguing that it would make them and communities safer plus protect them from the police.
Sewpersad said prostitution remains illegal and residents should contact Metro Police on 031 361 0000 if they spot any related activity and obtain a reference number for their query.
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“We have various ways of spotting them. You cannot just loiter while dressed a certain way at night. Sometimes we chase them away and they come back but we are working on eradicating prostitution from the community,” said Sewpersad.
For Naidoo, he has started entertaining thoughts of moving to a different neighbourhood in Durban.
“I was told that if I sold in January I would have made a R25 000 profit but with Covid-19 and the interest rate, it’s not a good time for selling, at the same time you don’t feel safe in your own home,” he said.
*Not his real name
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