Victoria Falls considers charging prostitutes an entry fee

By Leonard Ncube

Victoria Falls councillors are considering charging prostitutes an entry fee into the Victoria Falls Truck Stop to control the number of ladies of the night frequenting the facility.

Speaking at a recent full council meeting, councillors said they were concerned about the increase in the number of prostitutes at the Truck Stop who frequent the area at night to solicit for sex from truck drivers.

Councillors have suggested that a certain fee be charged on prostitutes and anyone who visits the Truck Stop at night and the ‘dirty’ money can be used for other projects.

Most of the prostitutes are residents of the resort town, some of whom visit the facility at night on the pretext of vending but eventually become ladies of the night as they solicit for sex.

Councillors raised the issue at a full council meeting saying they were incensed by the presence of ladies of the night at the Truck Stop which the local authority co-runs with a local businessman.

The other councillors concurred saying the place had become a moral eyesore.

“Maybe the council should charge a certain fee for one to enter the truck stop so as to reduce the number of ladies of the night who frequent the truck stop and maybe we can raise money as well,” said a councillor.

Victoria Falls Mayor Councillor Sifiso Mpofu suggested deployment of municipal police at the facility to arrest all those who loiter in anticipation of being picked by sex loving drivers.

“The council could consider sending police to the Truck Stop to control the area,” he said.

However, other councillors were of the feeling that the local authority should first engage the other partner, Trevor Lane, proprietor of Fulshan which owns 50 percent shares at the Truck Stop in a partnership with council.

Some even suggested that Fulshan should be the one to deal with presence of the ladies of the night as they were the ones fully on the ground.

The truck Stop is located adjacent to a cemetery in a bush near Masue River and women brave the night to walk there to solicit for sex.

All trucks that cross the border either through Victoria Falls Border Post or Kazungula Border Post park and in most cases spend a night at the facility while waiting to be cleared by border officials. The Chronicle