Marauding illegal artisanal miners have unleashed a reign of terror on commercial sex workers, subjecting them to inhuman treatment.

A Mvurwi-based organisation which deals with the plight of commercial sex workers, Kurainashe said several sex workers in areas like Mazowe (Jumbo), Glendale and Nzvimbo are complaining of the inhuman treatment they are being subjected to by the illegal artisanal mines.

Kurainashe field officer, Mr Ngoni Mudoti, said continuous harassment and physical abuse of commercial sex workers was rampant in mining areas, thereby endangering their lives.

“As an organisation, we conduct sessions and educate sex workers on correct and consistent use of condoms and protection during their line of trade.

Our aim is to reduce the rate of new infections. However, we have been facing challenges in terms of securing condoms.

“During these sessions, sex workers said they are facing challenges of both physical and sexual violence being perpetrated by the violent illegal artisanal miners. They complained that some of them demand unprotected sex.

We have also gathered that some the illegal artisanal miners refuse to pay for the services rendered to them and when the sex workers persist on demanding their payments, they are being assaulted,” said Mr Mudoti.

He further decried the stigmatisation some of the sex workers are being subjected to by health workers.

“When they visit health facilities to access treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, they are facing challenges of stigmatisation and discrimination from health service providers and end up shunning visiting these facilities.

This will result in an increase in cases of sexually transmitted diseases,” he said.State media