Police Raid at The Grand – A First Hand Account by Sexologist

Sadly, the guns pointed at me were not from hardened criminals or rebel forces, these were the guns from the very people that my government tells me will keep me safe when I sleep at night.

Approximately 100 heavily armed police officers raided The Grand strip club in Rivonia. The men, in helmets, boots, bullet proof vests, filled with very big bullets all down the front of their chests, armed with big automatic rifles, guns on each hip, wearing gloves and most of all, attitude.

"Get down on the floor facing down" barked the big man heading straight for us. "I said, get down on the f*&king floor! I'm not your friend!". I can heard pushing and shoving, but I couldn't see as I am did exactly as the man told me - I'm facing down, on the floor.

Police were all over the dining room, throwing people on the floor, guns pointing at us. Deja vu- 8 years ago, almost to the day The Ranch was raided and it's the same kind of police brutality we have witnessed before.

On Friday evening, the 27th of November, I went to The Grand, to see Andrew Phillips personally, as I wanted to congratulate him in person on his acquittal on prostitution-related charges 8-years after being charged. Early in the week I spoke to him on the phone, and when a friend suddenly arrived all the way from the Northern Cape I asked him to join me at the Grand for supper, so we could 'kill 2 birds with one stone', so to speak. However, I think my poor friend thought that he might be killed that night - and not with a stone.

After what started off as a very pleasant evening, and as we had just finished our meal, we were surprised by the sudden police presence. At first, I thought it was the usual regulars: police from the area arriving for their FREE supper, but then it was clear that these guys were not here for food. They were here to attack. It was almost like a scene from a very violent action movie.

Maybe this is what the people in Bombay were feeling like this week.

As I lay on the floor, facing down, with a policeman is standing over me, pointing the gun aggressively at me if I attempt to look up, I think "he must be 20 years old, and has never had so much power in his life". It reminded me of years gone by, when very young white soldiers went into the townships and got black people to lie down on the floor, searched and manhandled people for no reason, but all in the name of safety for the country.

All the women were then taken to a separate corner. Kitchen staff, exotic dancers and patrons all in one room. In a corner a woman was having an asthma attack. We were divided up into locals and foreigners.

After 3 hours of body searching, making everybody lie on the floor, automatic rifles pointed at us, verbal abuse, physical abuse to some patrons( if you did not have your ID / passport on you, well you were just thrown in the back of a police van). Dompas days all over again, except this time it's women they are targeting.

For the 16 days of Non violence against women, I'm sad to say, our own police force were not invited to that celebration. Shame on you, it was only the second day, and we have another 14 to go.

Suddenly we were free to go - women that is. Women with ID's and not dressed in dancing outfits. I tried to find my friend, but he is nowhere to be seen. Police are escorting the dancers to the change rooms. A female police woman with the help of 5 males escorted one tiny dancer to go and get changed. Is this what my tax money is used for? To fight crime? What is her crime? She works hard for her money. She has human rights: a right to dignity, to not to be humiliated. And why a ratio of 6:1? How dangerous can this poor woman be?

We want to legalise sexwork for 2010, and we can't even get it right in the places that are already legal!

Today I have to ask myself - What was that all about? If this is how I am being treated by my own police force, when I am out for an evening of entertainment and relaxation with my friends, not disturbing the peace, or doing anything illegal- how do the police then treat women that do not know their rights, or who are foreigners in our country?

We have far more serious crime in this country than women taking their clothes off.

I'm sure in the post-raid documents the report says: Job well done, the enemy tried to attack us with their thongs and high heels , but we resisted and we kept our cool, and we fought hard and we fought brave, but in the end we kept them off. South Africa can sleep safe again.

By Prof Elna McIntosh

SSASSERT President, Sub Saharan Africa Society of Sexuality Advisors, Educators, Researchers & Therapists, DISA Health Care - Director.

Sex work is defined in the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related matters) Amendment Act number 32 of 2007 as prostitution and is illegal. (see http://www.tlac.org.za/images/documents/sexual%20offences%20act%202007-3...)