Commercial sex workers go on credit to keep customers

The political capital of Cameroon, Yaounde has become a hot hub for prostitution as young girls, between the ages of 18 and 25, who are practically half naked with seductive smiles queueup at vantage positions of the city to be picked up by their clients.

Following recent confessions from sex workers in Bamenda, The Post learnt in Yaoundé that when business is slow or bad, the commercial sex works settle forcredit just to maintain their regular clients.

Accordingto one of the sex peddlers atthe TKC neighbourhood in Yaoundéwho refused to be named, it is necessary to trade on credit since the business is very enjoyable and at times profitable.

“We sometimes accept FCFA 500. There aremomentswhen you stay up continuously for days and only get three customers who come and pay cheap. To keep these customers, you have to go on credit,” she said.

Investigations also revealed that various prostituting spots are becomingcopiousin Yaoundé, since popular joints likethe City Council Premises, Mini-Ferme, Essos, Ekounou Mvog-Atangana Mballa, Fin Goudron in the Soa neighbourhoods just to name these, demands a lot of protocol to be admitted. At times,a godfather or god mother is needed.

On what it takes to become a sex worker in Yaoundé, our sources retorted; “Why are you so inquisitive?Sincerely, it’s not easy for you to have a place at some major spots in Yaoundé. You cannot wake up one evening and go there. There are procedures and because of these, many girls decide to open up new spots.”

To some, commercial sex is the only business they can undertake. “I joined this business in 2005, since then, I have been so committed to it. I did not join it out of frustration, I admire it and I enjoy doing it,” another sex hawker at TKC neighbourhood enthused.

Quizzed on why some prostitutes areso aggressive, one of them told this reporter that in as much as many girls keep joining the oldestprofession; many are not at peace with themselves, as such become very aggressive.

Those who have children saidit is very difficult to telltheir children what they actually do for a living.

On what motivated some of them to join the profession, some of the sex workers blamed their parents for neglecting them, others recounted how some of their relatives turn them into sex slaves, while others blame the unemployment rate in the country.

No matter the causes, many observers hold the opinion that no strong ins and outs have proven that becoming prostitutes will solve the problem.Instead, because of laziness, lack of faith, patience and determination, the quest for quick money and expensive life, havepushed manyinto the business.

While a blind eye has been turnedinto the act, fellow men and women have become bridges adoringand acting asbonds between the prostitutes and the so called dons thereby allowing the “spirit of I don’t care” to continue dwelling in the society.

When the government of Cameroon took a decision banning indecent dressing, the pronouncementwas seen as a step towards eradicating the ill but it has ended up like others declarationsin papers with the business flourishing as many young girls and women keepsjoining the industry.

In Cameroon, prostitution is illegal. The Cameroon criminal code spells out punishment for prostitution with a significant amount of money and a term of imprisonment. But law enforcement officials have since stopped arresting prostitutes regularly as they used to do.

The business has become so popular and so organized that observershave even suggested that since sex hawkers belong to a labour syndicate they ought to be allocated time and space for Labour Day parades. And perhaps they should pay taxes.