Association of People Living with AIDS (Napwa) convened by the Deputy
President
13 August 2007
As part of the continuing work of the South African National AIDS Council
(Sanac), led by Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka in conjunction with
structures of civil society, the Deputy President convened a meeting today of
the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and the National Association of People
Living with AIDS (Napwa) today (Monday, 13 August 2007), in Pretoria.
The meeting, to resolve differences between the two organisations relating
issues affecting people living with HIV and AIDS, is a result among others of a
resolution agreed to at the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu)
congress in Midrand last year.
There was also a need for Sanac to unite people living HIV and AIDS to
enhance outreach to them. The meeting was also part of the work done by the
Deputy President as Chair of Sanac in preparation for the next Sanac meeting,
the first since the reconstitution of the council and its adoption of the
National Strategic Plan.
The meeting, co-chaired by the Deputy Chairperson of Sanac-elect Mr Mark
Heywood, agreed, among other things, to the following:
* to follow a constructive process that will lead to the establishment of a
single unified organisation representing all people living with HIV and AIDS,
and to include all people living with the virus even if they were not members
of the two organisations
* to send representative to each others' national congresses in October and
December respectively in a process of building mutual trust and
accountability
* to a moratorium on attacks and counter attacks on each others organisation
and stop the vilification and character assassinations of individuals
* to consult membership of the respective organisations about this latest
development
* to select one or two projects on which the two organisations can work
together
* to provide start-up capital from the government's jobs for growth initiative
to a co-operative consisting both TAC and Napwa members to ensure economic
sustainability of people living with HIV and AIDS.
* to have members of the Napwa and TAC report to the next meeting of Sanac
about progress made in the reconciliation process
* to organise a summit for people living with HIV and AIDS by the first quarter
of 2008
* to meet in a month's time to take forward the process of unification and to
agree on further terms of reference for the unification process.
Enquiries:
Thabang Chiloane
Tel: 012 300 5311
Cell: 082 888 8783
Issued by: The Presidency
13 August 2007
Source: The Presidency (http://www.thepresidency.gov.za)
