Programme director
Honourable MEC, Dr Meshack Radebe
Local councilors and community leaders here present
Representatives of faith based and community organisations
Parents of Nquthu and surrounding communities
Sanibonani boGogo na bomkhulu.
Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to start off by acknowledging the importance of this day. Sessions like we are having today and the community dialogues that preceded it should be seen and used as opportunities for each of us to contribute towards a national campaign of building a HIV-free society.
It is fitting for us to be gathered in this area today to observe the World AIDS Day 2010 under the official theme: We are responsible. This theme is a poignant reminder of our personal and collective responsibility to stop new HIV infections and provide support to those already living with the virus. It is a theme that embraces responsibility for one’s personal conduct and solidarity between all of us. On this day, and in memory of the late Gugu Dlamini who was killed for disclosing her HIV status, must collectively commit to fight stigma and discrimination of people affected by HIV and AIDS.
Let us commit that never and never again, will we let one of our own suffer humiliation and die a cruel death because of ignorance. Let us commit ourselves that we will provide necessary care and support to children in our communities who through no fault of their own, have become orphans and vulnerable. Let us call on the wisdom of Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Adelaide Tambo and MaBertha Gxowa and the collective strength of all our communities to wage a war on the AIDS epidemic. It is this cumulative wisdom and collectivism strength that brought about the demise of the apartheid regime. Today, we need the same community spirit to build a HIV and AIDS free communities.
Ladies and gentlemen, the impact of the epidemic on individuals, families and communities around the globe is beyond comparison. In just a quarter of a century, AIDS is one of the defining challenges of modern times. A true product of our increasingly globalised society, AIDS is now present in every region, in every country and every community. Although the epidemic has reached every part of the world, no other region has been harder hit than the sub-Saharan Africa, home to nearly three quarters of the world’s people living with HIV and AIDS. South Africa, as part of the Southern Africa region has the largest number of people living with AIDS, estimated at 5 million.
The challenge therefore, is for all of us to open up, to realise that we are all living with HIV and AIDS. While some of us have the virus living in their bloodstream, all of us either live with, work with or know somebody infected by the virus. Many of these people were infected in the process of doing things most of us do on a regular basis. They are normal people like you and me. So, as I deliver this message to you, I want to encourage you all to work together with our government and community based organisations to promote healthy lifestyles.
To our government, World AIDS Day is not a one day event, but a significant part of a much larger effort of responding to the epidemic. Last year President Jacob Zuma launched a comprehensive HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) campaign which incorporates two key elements, namely prevention and treatment. This plan heralds a turning point in our country’s response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. More than ever before, there is clear and collective commitment and a sense of urgency from our government and all social partners on what needs to be done. However I must hasten to point out that the success of this plan is dependent on all of us, both as individuals and a collective, taking responsibility for our actions.
As part of this plan, our government aims to reach 15 million South Africans (50 percent) with the HCT campaign by June 2011. By July this year, over 1 million have been voluntarily tested. I remain confident that we will reach the targets come June 2011.
Our government’s renewed commitment to fight HIV and AIDS is guided by the National Strategic Plan for HIV and AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections 2007-2011, which serves as South Africa’s primary HIV and AIDS policy document. Recognising the growing need to combat the further spread of the epidemic, the plan hinges on four key priorities, namely:
- Prevention
- Treatment, care and support
- Mmonitoring, research and surveillance
- Hhuman rights and access to justice.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is encouraging to note that the sustained national response is gradually beginning to pay some dividends. Recent data indicates that the infection rate among women younger than 20 years has decreased significantly whilst the average national HIV prevalence among pregnant women has shown signs of stabilisation. However, these little milestones should not induce in us a feeling of complacency as we have a long road yet to travel to build a better life for our people.
Earlier today, MEC Radebe joined me in launching the maternal orphans surveillance study which clearly shows that the AIDS epidemic has devastating impact on the lives of young children. This study brings to the fore, the reality that people most vulnerable to the effects of HIV and AIDS are the children. They are the ones having to cope with the illness of their parents infected by the disease. They are the ones whose lives are turned upside down.
Data from the study indicates that of the total number of maternal orphans that emerged between 2003 and 2008, a larger proportion are in this province, KwaZulu-Natal (estimated at 199 364) followed by Gauteng and Eastern Cape with an estimated at 132 000 and 126 574 respectively. The Northern Cape had the lowest number of maternal orphans at 21 845 followed by the Western Cape at 34 114.
As you all know, the protection of children is one of the priorities of our government.
The Honourable MEC Radebe also agrees with me that the needs of children must be addressed with the utmost urgency because regardless of what happens to their parents, the children still need food, shelter and education. These children remain an important part of our society and everyone in this community and other communities throughout the country has the responsibility to nurture and protect them. Our government is acutely aware that some of you play an active role to help protect and nurture orphans and vulnerable children. I want to commend and applaud you for your dedication, love and for your caring spirit.
Your support makes a huge and positive difference in the lives of children of our country. This is the spirit and culture that should be implanted in all South Africans to help orphans and vulnerable children feel a sense of belonging. We must treat them as one of our own and never discriminate against them. They, like all other children, are the future of our country and must be equally given a platform to release their potential and realise their dreams. In Mandela’s own words “children are the most vulnerable citizens in any society and the greatest of our treasures”. As Africans, we all know that “it takes the whole village to raise a child”.
It is my conviction that in order for us to succeed in turning the tide of this epidemic we have to be reminded of the power of the collective. We have to be part of a much larger effort of mobilising our communities to own and support the messages of non-violence.
Ladies and gentlemen, the two major underlying cases of the rampant spread of HIV and AIDS in our country are gender inequity, gender-based violence and poverty. Coincidentally, today marks the eighth day since the launch of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children. We equally need to devote our collective efforts to confronting the scourge of violence directed at women and children. We cannot continue to remain silent and apathetic as women and children suffer at the hands of merciless criminals. This is another epidemic that we cannot allow in our country.
I appeal to you all to support this campaign as it is closely linked to our effort to combat the spread of HIV and AIDS. We all need to commit ourselves as ambassadors and persuade others to join this campaign. I hope that as a consequence of today, the message of no violence will filter to our families and ultimately permeate all spheres of our society.
Let us not stand by and watch as the disease ravages us! Let us not turn a blind eye to the abuse of women and children in our communities! Let us choose to use our collective power to fight these problems! Let's show that we care enough to act. We will overcome if we commit ourselves!
In closing, I urge everyone to use the occasion of this year’s World AIDS Day and 16 Days of Activism to renew our collective commitment by holding ourselves accountable for the success of government’s response to HIV and AIDS and the abuse of women and children.
Ngiyabonga.
I thank you.
