- Sex tourism is taking root in Livingstone, Senior chief
Mukuni of the Toka-Leya people has revealed.
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- In an interview, chief Mukuni said most people were flocking
to Livingstone for sex.
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- "We are a tourism capital and almost everybody is
converging here. It's almost like the growth point of Zambia," he
said.
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- "As a result we are having all kinds of people arriving
in Livingstone. all sorts of things are going on including what may turn
out to be sex tourism, with foreigners who come in for the service."
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- Chief Mukuni said the problem of sex tourism was serious.
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- "It's quite serious and it is quite there,"
he said.
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- He said according to the current records, Livingstone
currently had the highest HIV/AIDS incidence levels which stood at 30 per
cent.
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- "We know our target should be the youths because
these are our future generation. I am not so much concerned with the older
generation because they are passing on," he said.
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- Chief Mukuni said on his part, he had become the patron
of youths in Livingstone and taken the problem of HIV/AIDS very seriously
because it had permeated through all the levels.
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- He said youths were being informed about the dangers
of HIV/AIDS through drama and hosting a beauty contests.
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- He said some chiefdoms had done away with cultural practices
that precipitated HIV/AIDS.
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- "We have customs like inheriting of wives. We are
not stopping that. All we are saying is that a couple must make an informed
decision," he said.
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- "Before you allow that, let them go for testing
so that if one of them is found to be positive, or negative tell them that
is the position, you still want to marry, go and practice safe sex."
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- Chief Mukuni said another sexual practice in his area
was that of widow inheritance.
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- He said widow inheritance was traditionally meant to
take care of children.
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- "We still think it has some value in some rural
societies so rather than stop it, play it safe," he said.
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- Chief Mukuni encouraged people to play safe sex even
if the act was being done for cleansing purposes.
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- "When it comes to sexual cleansing, we are also
saying we may not stop it when they want it to happen but let it be played
safely. Let the woman have a condom, let the man have a condom and make
sure they have that. If they can do that, they can go ahead but we are
normally suggesting alternative methods of cleansing which are popular
like female to female, just touching of bodies or just the use of herbs,"
he said.
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- Chief Mukuni said people had died in great numbers.
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- "You cannot point at any family that you say has
not been affected in the last three years or been infected," he said.
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- Chief Mukuni said almost every family had buried twice
or thrice in the last two to three years.
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- He said the disease had shaken people into reality.
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- He further said due to the pandemic's magnitude, people
had accepted because initially people used to go to witch doctors
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- http://allafrica.com/stories/200312010980.html
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