THE African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) supports the withdrawal of a Bill to decriminalise prostitution.
ACDP whip and member of the Justice and Correctional Services Portfolio Committee, Steve Swart, said the Bill had far-reaching consequences.
“The ACDP welcomes the announcement by the Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, John Jeffery, during the department's budget vote debate earlier this week, that the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill, 2022. The Bill seeking to decriminalise prostitution will, after concerns about its constitutionality were raised, not be tabled in Parliament during this session," he said.
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Swart said that in the party's submission to the department in January 2023, the ACDP argued that the Bill "flies in the face" to the findings and recommendations of the extensive process conducted by the South African Law Reform Commission at the department's request in 2017.
He said that the department had instead chosen the extreme position of decriminalising prostitution, which had not been recommended by the SALRC.
"We were then appalled that at a time when South Africa is facing severe moral degradation and dysfunctional families, resulting in high levels of crime and violence (particularly against vulnerable women and children), gangsterism, drug abuse and human trafficking, the department was considering such a far-reaching Bill," said Swart.
He said the Bill was in direct contravention of Section 18 of the Constitution and would lead to further breakdown of morals and traditional values recognised by the majority of South Africans.
He said while the reason given for not continuing with the Bill was constitutional in that no regulatory framework was in place to deal with decriminalisation, the ACDP has no doubt that overwhelming opposition to the Bill, particularly from the ACDP, churches and other religious organisations and organisations such as the Collective Against Sexual Exploitation, also played a role in this decision, especially given the upcoming general election in 2024.
