GOV TO IMPORT GAY SEX WORKERS

Following plans to legalise prostitution for the 2010 World Cup, the South African government plans to import male sex workers for gay soccer fans.

According to Renato Thabethe, spokesperson for the Office of the National Police Commissioner, while the country has sufficient female sex workers, there are not enough gay male sex workers to accommodate the influx of international visitors.

“Our constitution demands equal opportunity for gay sports fans. South Africa is fast becoming the gay friendly capital of the continent, and we need to ensure that this remains the case in 2010”, said Thabethe in a statement issued today.

His department intends to submit the plan to Cabinet and Home Affairs together with the suggestion to legalise prostitution and create official “red light zones” during the World Cup.

Home Affairs has apparently already indicated that it is prepared to issue short term work visas for foreigners who wish to meet the needs of gay soccer fans.

While it was originally envisaged that male sex workers be imported from Europe, this was rejected by the Police Commissioner’s office. Instead officials will look to the rest of Africa for volunteers.

“We want to ensure that this is an African experience. What kind of African welcome will we offer to international visitors if they simply end up with the same sex workers that they left behind at home?,” asked Thabethe, speaking to Mambaonline.

According to the statement, a team of officials would travel through a number of African countries with the aim of recruiting at least 2500 male sex workers.

“We believe that this will sufficiently augment our local population of rent boys and male escorts,” said Thabethe. He was unable to explain neither what criteria would be used to evaluate applicants nor how interviews would be conducted at this point.

The news was met with outrage by Guy Forheir from the Gay Association of Sex Proffesionals (GASP), who issued a media release accusing the government of taking work away from South Africans. The organisation denies that there is a shortfall of male sex workers in the country.

“Everyday we are outlawed and oppressed by the government, and when we are finally about to be legalised, they are preparing to take our very living away from us. Why should ordinary South African sex professionals make way for foreigners? All we want to do is make a living”, said Forheir.

“We have a right to make a quick buck on the 2010 World Cup just like every other South African,” he added. GASP has said that it will attempt to meet National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi in person to resolve the matter.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was published on April 1 – April Fool’s Day – as part of the long-standing news media tradition of publishing a humorous and satirical piece on that day. This article is not intended to be taken seriously and is entirely fictitious.