South African politician suggests legalization of prostitution during World Cup to reduce rape

South African parliamentarian George Lekgetho of the ruling ANC party has proposed that South Africa legalises prostitution for the duration of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in order to prevent instances of rape, as well as bring in revenue for the government to help the unemployed.

Advancing a crude rationale based upon supply and demand, Lekgotho told a Parliamentary committee that legalising prostitution would be “one of the things that would make [the World Cup] a success because we hear of many rapes, because people don’t have access to them.” Lekgotho backed up his case on socio-economic grounds saying that “if sex working is legalised people would not do things in the dark. That would bring us tax and would improve the lives of those who are not working,” reports the South African Press Association.

South African newspaper The Times denounced the logic of the Lekgotho’s argument, which appears to endorse the opinion that rape is generally a case of releasing sexual frustration rather an act of violence based upon deeper underlying psychological issues. Furthermore, the fiscal justification for his suggestion was criticised on ethical grounds by opposition MP Sydney Opperman who stated that “You cannot attach a price to the deepest union between a man and a woman and link it to our tax base,” writes the South African Press Association.