Nightmare of Sex Workers: Chikumbu’s Christmas Horror

Christmas is often a season of joy, laughter, and family gatherings. But for Enelesi Chikumbu, a sex worker from Blantyre’s Ndirande Township, last year’s Christmas Eve turned into the darkest night of her life.

What began as a promising evening with a seemingly “gentle” client at Chinseu pubs ended in a nightmare she says will haunt her forever.

“He was looking calm and kind. He coaxed me with sweet words. We enjoyed ourselves till midnight and agreed to go to a lodge,” Chikumbu narrated, her voice trembling. “But the gentle face turned into a monster once we reached Bubbles Lodge.”

According to Chikumbu, the client had agreed to pay K10,000 for protected sex and K20,000 for unprotected sex. But what followed defied all bounds of human dignity.

“After undressing, he pulled a bottle of Fanta from his bag and said it would be the bottle, not him. I refused, but he overpowered me and pierced the bottle into my private parts,” she said, breaking down in tears. “I have never gone through such hell since I started this job four years ago. The pain lasted for weeks.”

Her ordeal is a grim reminder of the silent battles Malawi’s sex workers endure daily — violence, humiliation, and the denial of their humanity.

Legal expert Mateyu Msisha described the incident as “barbaric” and a direct violation of human rights.
“There is no law in Malawi that criminalises sex workers. They too have rights guaranteed by the Constitution. What happened to her was a grave abuse, and such acts cannot go unpunished,” Msisha stressed.

Human rights defender Carlo Mvalo also condemned the attack, describing it as “inhuman and criminal.”
“Sex workers are human beings first. Many are in this business out of desperation — to survive, to feed their children. The violence they face is unacceptable, and this particular case deserves prosecution,” he said.

For Chikumbu, the scars go beyond the physical. A single mother of two, she says she still lives with fear and trauma.
“What I went through that night still haunts me. I pray one day I will meet him again so he can pay for what he did — at least to cover the hospital bills I spent,” she said softly.

Her story is not just about one woman’s suffering. It is a reflection of the daily nightmare faced by many sex workers in Malawi — women who continue to live on the margins, voiceless, abused, yet carrying the weight of survival for themselves and their families.

 

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