In the Kinondoni district of Dar es Salaam city in Tanzania, many men have come out in large numbers to protest vehemently against the government’s decision to close down brothels where sex workers operate.
According to these men, the government made a mistake by shutting down their entertainment spots since they are not compelled to go there; they choose to go there willingly, and they don’t engage in theft when they visit these places.
Some argued that these brothels are their way of satisfying their desires, and if these places continue to be closed, they fear they might resort to rape.
“What will happen now? In the end, you might be surprised, we might resort to rape, or not, sir. Because at the end of the day, you might find us doing something bad. We are looking for money; we go there, spend our money, and we are satisfied. It’s not like we are capturing them or anything, it’s our money, we spend it and we are content,” one man said, denying the requirement to marry to avoid adultery.
“People are advised to get married, yes, I might have a wife at home, but because of how we men are, I can leave my wife at home and go have fun elsewhere,” he added.
“We complain because we, the outsiders or let’s say those without wives, these women are our stress relievers so that we don’t succumb to external temptations to rape women or anyone. If you pay your two or three thousand, you release your stress, and life goes on,” another protester complained.
This move comes just a few days after the Regional Commissioner of the Pwani region in Tanzania, Albert Chalamila, held a meeting with all district leaders in the region and agreed to bring order to the city.
Chalamila stated that all massage parlors and places where women shake their hips provocatively were prohibited starting this week, saying it was a way to restore good morals in a society that has gone astray.
