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The Slavery Of South Africa

Decent Essays

When democracy was ushered in after the fall of the apartheid regime, the nation went through radical change. Not only was the stalwart Nationalist Party replaced by the liberation leaders of the African National Congress, but the citizens of South Africa also had to replace their apartheid era thinking with that of a newly liberated and enlightened mind. Issues of national importance suddenly affected everyone – the movement from apartheid rule to democracy brought about a new set of national values that were based on the protection of and respect for all citizens of South Africa. When it came to debates around the decriminalization of sex work, the discourse changed completely from the apartheid to the post-apartheid era. Arguments in favor of decriminalizing sex work during apartheid were mainly based on issues of public health and the benefits of increased leniency; arguments in the post-apartheid era were heavily influenced by the new constitution and its accompanying Bill of Rights, and thus these debates were centered on attempting to advance the process of democracy by affording sex workers their basic human rights. This paper will attempt to decipher the ways in which the debates around the decriminalization of sex work evolved during this time period, and how the racial relations between South Africans at the time played an important role in defining these discussions.

One would find themselves extremely lost if they attempted to understand the lack of interest

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