Programme Director
Ladies and Gentlemen
Awardees
Introduction
We are meeting here today thirteen days before the Commemoration of the World AIDS Day under the National Theme “South Africa is taking responsibility pathing down to Zero‟ which means zero related HIV & AIDS death, zero infections and zero discrimination. This theme calls upon humankind to stand up and be counted in creating a society free from HIV&AIDS.
As a Nation we have been faced with multitudes of challenges which united we fought and overcame. We have experience on wars of resistance, the 2nd Word War and even there we overcame. Today we are faced with a challenge of a different magnitude. One that has:
- left many families broken
- left many children orphaned
- left many women widowed
- left many men widowed
- created divisions in society
- handicapped the intellectual development
- handicapped economic growth.
Our proud history of being faced with the above challenges has brought us victory, now we must focus on the following:
- improve communication strategies and practice
- sharing
- unity
- absence of Greed.
In the HIV and AIDS revolution our government has committed to contribute significantly to the burden of disease faced by South Africans particularly the poor and vulnerable communities. Government led by the Ministry of Health has decided to put a huge effort into addressing HIV and AIDS and TB in an integrated manner.
The most important strategy to combat these diseases is the HIV and AIDS Counselling and Testing (HCT) Campaign which has scaled up the integrated prevention strategy based on:
- behavioural change
- use of barrier methods
- providing medical male circumcision
- scaling up syndrome management of Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI); and
- early prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT).
The aim of the HCT Campaign is to get people tested as we have being whereby ensuring people know their status early. This is done by massively scaling up HCT services in public and private facilities, homes, workplaces and public spaces.
I am confident that for Life and SABC Education are alive to Government‟s programme of ensuring communities and constituencies know their status and continue to live the legacy of the late Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Molefe Sefularo – may his soul rest in peace.
Collaboration and partnership
As we celebrate 17 years of democratic government has strengthened its efforts in providing health care and other amenities to its citizens. It humbles me to note that the Brothers for life is appreciating that Government alone cannot do it. As a developmental state, Government will continue to play a role of being a catalyst in various socio-economic factors and intervene decisively on some area of the economy where there is market failure.
Through partnership and collaboration such as this one; Government and its people will indeed create a better life for all and build sustainable communities. I am encouraged by Brothers for Life programmes, which are geared towards the reconstruction of the social fabric of our society.
I am told that this programme caters for men from the age of thirty years. Ideally this is good. However, Mr. Dyasi I am of the opinion that if we were to start such programmes for men at an early age we would make a huge impact as you know the old saying “catch them whilst still young”. History has proven that when you address social-ills by engaging children at an early age you stand a better chance of getting good results because they grow knowing exactly what society expects from them.
At the top of my mind are HIV & AIDS and Health and Safety campaigns now implemented by Department of Basic Education at schools. The same goes to the religious community, which teach religion to young people at an early age and most come to be men and women of integrity in their communities.
I am now challenging your approach and conceptualisation of this good programme which is an idea to maximum benefits for Brother for Life‟s endeavors. Imagine the social currency you will have in the country by responding to social challenges confronting the men across age groups.
Gender based violence
Programme Director allow me to borrow the words of the former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Anan when he remarked “Education is the single most vital element in combating poverty, empowering women, protecting children from hazardous and exploitative labour and sexual exploitation, promoting human rights and democracy, protecting the environment and influencing population growth. Education is a path towards international peace and security”.
Gender-based violence is a worldwide problem, though the scourge is particularly difficult to eradicate in Africa, where a mixture of tradition, inequality and even ignorance conspires against women.
You add HIV and AIDS into this mix and women are fighting not only discrimination and physical abuse, but also a disease that is likely to kill them. Violence against women and the spread of HIV are two sides of the same coin. It is no coincidence that South Africa suffers from particularly heavy caseloads of both HIV and rape, now we are confronted we the new social-ill „corrective rape‟.
We have a momentous task to deal with social-ills our society faces daily. Hence I want to urge Brothers for Life to honestly rethink your target age group in order to build a society where men and women can live as equals irrespective of their gender and sexual orientation.
As we honour these True Patriots I am convinced that we have begun to respond to these challenges and prescripts of the Constitution. Section 9 (2) of the Constitution advices us that “equality includes the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms” and paragraph 3 of the same section states “the state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscious, belief, culture, language and birth.
Men of the year
I wish to congratulate all the heroes who will receive awards today. I trust that in you we have a new generation of cadres and agents for change who will ensure women and children live in safer homes and communities.
To Brothers for Life I envy your partnerships with various stakeholders, especially the SABC as a public broadcaster through its radio station to communicate positive vibes in our communities. You are a model of how communities, private corporations and Government can work together to provide and deliver services to communities.
Working together we can build a free HIV & AIDS society and sustainable communities. Gloves are off therefore there is No retreat! No surrender! Victory is certain!
