According to the Mmegi (November 24, 2009), BONELA official, Annah Chalmas, was reported as saying the move would help sex workers as human beings and give them dignity. On the other hand, South African MP George Lekgetho has called for prostitution to be legalised for the duration of the World Cup. Lekgetho said, "It is one of the things that would make it (World Cup) a success." These were very foolish and unthinkable statements. BONELA's vision for Botswana is blurry because in Leviticus 19:29 the Bible says, "Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness." It also makes me wonder how dubious characters like Lekgetho got elected into Parliament. All governments' have the duty to protect and cater for their own people. In Luke 2 vs. 8 the Bible says, "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over the flock at night." This depicts good leadership because the shepherds were alert at night guarding against any attacks on the flocks. Likewise, the government of Botswana, like the good shepherd that it is, has to guard its flock (citizens) from vicious beasts such as BONELA who are bent on destroying its flock. Women, do not be fooled!BONELA wants to fight AIDS by legalising prostitution? Is that what the 'Ethic' in their name stands for? A parliamentarian wants prostitution to be temporarily legalised for the duration of the World Cup? I find it hard to believe, or, maybe, these people own bordellos around the country. I understand that these unfortunate women, like anyone else on earth, want to make a living and I am not against that. I know that they came into this business not by choice by through lack of alternatives. I am, however, against people making a living by employing Sodom and Gomorrah tendencies as a way of survival which is prohibited in the Bible. I might not be a Botswana citizen, but I plead with the government not to legalise sex work. Allow me to offer another Biblical perspective. In Luke 2 vs. 11 Jesus asked, "Which of you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give a scorpion?" Botswana has many graduates on the streets who have simply put their hopes on the government to provide them with decent jobs which Jesus depicts as fish and eggs in the above verse. Would it then be possible for the government to send its citizens into prostitution as a way of survival or alleviating unemployment? If they do, they would have given its citizens scorpions and snakes instead of eggs and fish as Jesus said. Despite BONELA saying legalising sex work will give women dignity, I personally reject that sentiment. There is never going to be any dignity in prostitution because I can assure that women who are in this practice would gladly abandon it were they to find other means of survival. Legalised or not, do the people at BONELA know the psychological effects prostitution has on the women, their children, families and relatives? My advice to all the beautiful Batswana citizens is that they should abscond from this shameful plea by BONELA, and instead join government projects such as the Ipelegeng where it is reported that more than 300,000 unemployed Batswana are benefiting from the programme in various trades. It might be paying little but it is honest and clean. Now, this is what I call dignity unlike BONELA that says prostitution has dignity. Women, you are beautiful and an important part of the society. I say you are beautiful because after God finished creating everything including the man, He then said, "It was very good" (Genesis 1 vs. 31). Why should we waste our bodies that God called "very good" by selling our bodies just because desperate nongovernmental organisations such as BONELA have recommended us to do so? It's possible that some women already involved in prostitution might already be gnashing their teeth at me because they do not agree with my view. I will not flatter anyone because BONELA is a wolf in sheep's clothing. In a letter to the Editor on November 27 in the Mmegi, Rodgers Mompoloki said, "I think it is even better if this prostitution business is recognised and registered so that the government can even source taxes and develop the industry further." Mompoloki, let me give you a word to meditate upon. In 1 Corinthians 14 vs. 20, the Bible says, "In evil be children but in understanding be men." I will not waste too much time on this because I can see some people are in a spiritual fog. Sometimes I believe we do not need a brain do distinguish between right and wrong. I always wonder how these people who are fighting for sex work to be legalised would feel if their own daughters were to be used as sex workers.
Whether the women like it or not, it remains a fact that prostitution is inherently wrong. If the government of Botswana legalises sex work, then we can safely conclude that it has failed to create dignified employment opportunities for its people. They would have given their sons and daughters 'scorpions' instead of 'bread and fish' as Jesus said. If this law is enacted then we should no longer say this country is sinning but has become wicked.
