Red light areas in 2010 plan

2007-03-29 14:04

Johannesburg - The host cities for the 2010 Soccer World Cup should have dedicated "red-light" districts, deputy national police commissioner Andre Pruis said on Thursday.

Pruis repeated calls made earlier in the week by National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi who asked the National Assembly to give serious thought on what to do about prostitution and drinking in public.

Both are currently illegal in South Africa.

Pruis was giving a presentation on the security plan for the 2010 Soccer World Cup at the National Prosecuting Authority's stakeholder conference underway in Midrand.

"We are proposing: let's organise things that we know will happen," Pruis said.

He said he was planning to divide the host cities into areas to ensure that all the places fans and officials visited were adequately staffed with police officers.

He said one such area could include a "red-light" sector where people could be taken to and where "madams and police" would rule.

In Germany prostitution is legalised.

"What did the Germans do? Outside they had beer trucks and food stalls. Pimps were allowed to give you a ticket with an address, then there was an accredited taxi taking you there and bringing you back," Pruis said.

Prostitution was against the law, "but drinking in public is also against the law and do you expect me to arrest all those people?" Pruis asked.

He said there was a need for a discussion to deal with issue and how to organise it during the tournament.

- SAPA