Date: 05/12/2002
Source: Mpumalanga Provincial Government
Title: Mahlangu: Launch of Mpumalanga traditional leaders' HIV/AIDS task team
KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY MPUMALANGA PREMIER NJ MAHLANGU, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE MPUMALANGA TRADITIONAL LEADERS' HIV/AIDS TASK TEAM, Emnothweni Arena, Nelspruit, 5 December 2002
Programme Director
Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders, Kgoshi Mashile
Magoshi NamaKhosi akhona phakathi kwethu
Members of the Provincial Executive Council
His Worship Mayor Isaiah Khoza
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
I am glad to have been invited to witness the birth of something special - something beautiful. The launch of the Mpumalanga traditional leaders' HIV/AIDS task team is something that all of us are proud of. Proud because it emphasises the need for a partnership in the fight against the HIV and AIDS scourge.
In partnership with all sectors of society, we must continue to give absolute priority to HIV/AIDS programmes. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is the most devastating and challenging of epidemics faced by mankind. Its rapid spread across the globe and the stigma and discrimination accompanying the disease have already taken a major toll in human lives.
It is the fourth largest global killer.
Its impact on entire households, on the economy, on health workers, on education, on enterprises and development, is potentially catastrophic. It is not an epidemic that seems to have a natural course of coming to an end.
For over 20 years the world has been living and dealing with AIDS. But the numbers have been rising. Rising because in spite of the millions of deaths and infections, many among us continue to treat AIDS as someone else's problem.
AIDS is not someone's problem. It is YOUR problem. It is MY problem. In this war there are only two kinds of people. Those infected with the virus and those affected by it. That is why we are pleased that today in this fight our traditional leaders join us.
We will eventually defeat this scourge when all of us as the youth, as women and men, as business people, as workers, as religious people, as parents and teachers, as farmers and farm workers, as the unemployed and professionals, as the rich and the poor, join hands. We are all invaluable allies in the fight against AIDS.
That fight is as urgent as ever.
That is why I am heartened by the fact that our traditional leaders have taken it upon themselves to join hands in the partnership against this epidemic. In doing so our leaders are joining hands with religious organisations, the business sector, Government; non-governmental and community-based organisations; the sports, arts, and entertainment sector; the youth, women and individuals.
The HIV/AIDS epidemic has created a terrible burden for millions of individuals, families and communities around the world.
There are over 42 million adults and children living with AIDS, of which, some 14 million are orphaned children.
The loss of life and setbacks for development are there for all to see. Unless we stop this virus, we may soon see infection levels reaching hundreds of millions. We may also see a dramatic rise in the number of orphans. And indeed our economy may collapse as we lose productive adults.
Our societies may soon be comprised of the very young and very old. That is why as leaders and as a people we need to ensure that we work tirelessly towards preventing new infections and reversing the spread of the epidemic. We need to increase equitable access to new HIV treatments and at the same time alleviate the disastrous impact of AIDS on human development.
Whether we are able to succeed will depend on mobilising all elements of society, from traditional leaders to political parties, from church organisations to youth clubs, from businesses to foundations and civil society groups. We must tackle this problem together.
My greatest wish, Programme Director, is that the inclusion of traditional leaders in the broad army against HIV/AIDS will help us BREAK THE SILENCE. Break the silence of fear. The silence of shame. The silence of ignorance. The silence of taboo.
Let us be frank and admit that the subject of sex still remains a no-no. We do not want to talk about it.
Traditional leaders can help us in dealing with the subject of talking openly about sex and abstinence. Many of us have been taught to think of sex as immoral, dirty or embarrassing, unless it is practised within the bonds of marriage.
As adults we are not used to talking openly about sex or hearing about sex. We are not used to talking with children about sexual matters.
These aspects of our culture, that have made us shy about sex, were developed in different times.
We now have a completely new challenge with HIV. It is a new disease that was not there when our old customs were created. The arrival of HIV means we have to make some changes to our culture because if we do not make these changes very large numbers of our young people will die and we may do so as well.
Let us remember that tens of thousands of our young people have already begun sexual activity and become infected by the HIV virus out of ignorance. But we must urge all our youth to protect themselves at an early age. And to protect their loved ones against this disease by abstaining from sexual activity as much as possible; by being faithful to their partners or by always using a condom if they are sexually active.
I believe, therefore, that it is important for all of us to educate each other about the danger that HIV/AIDS poses. In order to do that we need to embark on a sustained campaign of mass mobilisation.
As leaders we must be in the forefront of community mobilisation and leadership around HIV and AIDS. We must spearhead the campaign around awareness, prevention, voluntary testing and counselling, treatment and care. The reality, ladies and gentlemen, is that a vast majority of our people are undiagnosed.
They do not know their HIV status. Some of them are already falling ill but they do not know that their illnesses are related to HIV/AIDS. And even if they do know or suspect, they are reluctant to come out and talk about their condition.
They are reluctant to come forward because of the stigmatising and discriminating against people infected and affected by the virus. Stigma and discrimination are the major obstacles to effective HIV/AIDS prevention and care.
Fear of discrimination may prevent people from seeking treatment for AIDS or from acknowledging their HIV status publicly. Someone once said: "It is not the HIV virus which is killing me or making my life not worth living, but the bad attitudes of people towards me and their rejection of me."
The impact of stigma can be as detrimental as the virus itself. The solitude and lack of support it imposes are deeply wounding to those who suffer it. It should also hurt every one of us, for it is an affront to our common humanity.
Some people with AIDS are being denied basic rights such as food or shelter, and dismissed from jobs they are perfectly fit to perform. They may be shunned by their community, or most tragic of all, by their own family. At times they suffer physical violence or even murder.
The fear of stigma leads to silence, and when it comes to fighting AIDS, silence is death.
It suppresses public discussion about AIDS, and deters people from finding out whether they are infected.
It can cause people - whether a mother breastfeeding her child or a sexual partner reluctant to disclose their HIV status - to risk transmitting HIV rather than attract suspicion that they might be infected. But the walls of stigma and silence are weakening. There is evidence of progress on every continent.
Leaders are speaking out at the highest level. The rights of people living with HIV/AIDS are being defended through the courts. Standards are being set in the workplace. Schools, the media and youth education programmes are helping to create a generation better equipped to live in the world of AIDS.
Let no-one ever again risk transmitting HIV for fear of attracting suspicion that they might be infected - whether a mother breastfeeding her child or a sexual partner reluctant to disclose their HIV status.
This year's world AIDS campaign challenges us - under the slogan "Live and Let Live" - to ensure that all people, with or without HIV, can realise their human rights and live in dignity.
It challenges leaders everywhere to demonstrate by example that speaking up about AIDS is a point of pride, not a source of shame. It challenges us to replace stigma with support, fear with hope, and silence with solidarity.
It challenges us to act on the understanding that this work begins with each and every one of us.
Programme Director, the challenge is for all of us to work towards an improved, accessible and affordable health system. There must be better access to treatments, more vigorous prevention efforts, more effective social outreach, and support for those most vulnerable, particularly orphans.
As a partnership we MUST use every opportunity openly to discuss the issue of AIDS.
As Partners Against AIDS, together we pledge to care.
And so today we join hands in the Partnership, fully aware that our unity is our strength. The simple but practical action that we take today is tomorrow's insurance for our nation.
There is no other moment but the present, to take action.
We must BREAK THE SILENCE
Break the silence of fear, ignorance, shame and the silence that cannot risk honesty.
We must break the silence of embarrassment. The silence that cannot tell a partner, "I am infected".
But above all we must work together to break the silence of avoidance and rejection of those infected and affected by the virus. Break the silence of the death certificate that will not use the word "AIDS".
Yes, let us break the SILENCE OF DEATH.
I thank you.
Contact person: George Mohlamonyane 082 802 8460 / 013 766 2288
Issued by Office of the Premier, Mpumalanga
5 December 2002
Source: Mpumalanga Provincial Government
Title: Mahlangu: Launch of Mpumalanga traditional leaders' HIV/AIDS task team
KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY MPUMALANGA PREMIER NJ MAHLANGU, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE MPUMALANGA TRADITIONAL LEADERS' HIV/AIDS TASK TEAM, Emnothweni Arena, Nelspruit, 5 December 2002
Programme Director
Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders, Kgoshi Mashile
Magoshi NamaKhosi akhona phakathi kwethu
Members of the Provincial Executive Council
His Worship Mayor Isaiah Khoza
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
I am glad to have been invited to witness the birth of something special - something beautiful. The launch of the Mpumalanga traditional leaders' HIV/AIDS task team is something that all of us are proud of. Proud because it emphasises the need for a partnership in the fight against the HIV and AIDS scourge.
In partnership with all sectors of society, we must continue to give absolute priority to HIV/AIDS programmes. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is the most devastating and challenging of epidemics faced by mankind. Its rapid spread across the globe and the stigma and discrimination accompanying the disease have already taken a major toll in human lives.
It is the fourth largest global killer.
Its impact on entire households, on the economy, on health workers, on education, on enterprises and development, is potentially catastrophic. It is not an epidemic that seems to have a natural course of coming to an end.
For over 20 years the world has been living and dealing with AIDS. But the numbers have been rising. Rising because in spite of the millions of deaths and infections, many among us continue to treat AIDS as someone else's problem.
AIDS is not someone's problem. It is YOUR problem. It is MY problem. In this war there are only two kinds of people. Those infected with the virus and those affected by it. That is why we are pleased that today in this fight our traditional leaders join us.
We will eventually defeat this scourge when all of us as the youth, as women and men, as business people, as workers, as religious people, as parents and teachers, as farmers and farm workers, as the unemployed and professionals, as the rich and the poor, join hands. We are all invaluable allies in the fight against AIDS.
That fight is as urgent as ever.
That is why I am heartened by the fact that our traditional leaders have taken it upon themselves to join hands in the partnership against this epidemic. In doing so our leaders are joining hands with religious organisations, the business sector, Government; non-governmental and community-based organisations; the sports, arts, and entertainment sector; the youth, women and individuals.
The HIV/AIDS epidemic has created a terrible burden for millions of individuals, families and communities around the world.
There are over 42 million adults and children living with AIDS, of which, some 14 million are orphaned children.
The loss of life and setbacks for development are there for all to see. Unless we stop this virus, we may soon see infection levels reaching hundreds of millions. We may also see a dramatic rise in the number of orphans. And indeed our economy may collapse as we lose productive adults.
Our societies may soon be comprised of the very young and very old. That is why as leaders and as a people we need to ensure that we work tirelessly towards preventing new infections and reversing the spread of the epidemic. We need to increase equitable access to new HIV treatments and at the same time alleviate the disastrous impact of AIDS on human development.
Whether we are able to succeed will depend on mobilising all elements of society, from traditional leaders to political parties, from church organisations to youth clubs, from businesses to foundations and civil society groups. We must tackle this problem together.
My greatest wish, Programme Director, is that the inclusion of traditional leaders in the broad army against HIV/AIDS will help us BREAK THE SILENCE. Break the silence of fear. The silence of shame. The silence of ignorance. The silence of taboo.
Let us be frank and admit that the subject of sex still remains a no-no. We do not want to talk about it.
Traditional leaders can help us in dealing with the subject of talking openly about sex and abstinence. Many of us have been taught to think of sex as immoral, dirty or embarrassing, unless it is practised within the bonds of marriage.
As adults we are not used to talking openly about sex or hearing about sex. We are not used to talking with children about sexual matters.
These aspects of our culture, that have made us shy about sex, were developed in different times.
We now have a completely new challenge with HIV. It is a new disease that was not there when our old customs were created. The arrival of HIV means we have to make some changes to our culture because if we do not make these changes very large numbers of our young people will die and we may do so as well.
Let us remember that tens of thousands of our young people have already begun sexual activity and become infected by the HIV virus out of ignorance. But we must urge all our youth to protect themselves at an early age. And to protect their loved ones against this disease by abstaining from sexual activity as much as possible; by being faithful to their partners or by always using a condom if they are sexually active.
I believe, therefore, that it is important for all of us to educate each other about the danger that HIV/AIDS poses. In order to do that we need to embark on a sustained campaign of mass mobilisation.
As leaders we must be in the forefront of community mobilisation and leadership around HIV and AIDS. We must spearhead the campaign around awareness, prevention, voluntary testing and counselling, treatment and care. The reality, ladies and gentlemen, is that a vast majority of our people are undiagnosed.
They do not know their HIV status. Some of them are already falling ill but they do not know that their illnesses are related to HIV/AIDS. And even if they do know or suspect, they are reluctant to come out and talk about their condition.
They are reluctant to come forward because of the stigmatising and discriminating against people infected and affected by the virus. Stigma and discrimination are the major obstacles to effective HIV/AIDS prevention and care.
Fear of discrimination may prevent people from seeking treatment for AIDS or from acknowledging their HIV status publicly. Someone once said: "It is not the HIV virus which is killing me or making my life not worth living, but the bad attitudes of people towards me and their rejection of me."
The impact of stigma can be as detrimental as the virus itself. The solitude and lack of support it imposes are deeply wounding to those who suffer it. It should also hurt every one of us, for it is an affront to our common humanity.
Some people with AIDS are being denied basic rights such as food or shelter, and dismissed from jobs they are perfectly fit to perform. They may be shunned by their community, or most tragic of all, by their own family. At times they suffer physical violence or even murder.
The fear of stigma leads to silence, and when it comes to fighting AIDS, silence is death.
It suppresses public discussion about AIDS, and deters people from finding out whether they are infected.
It can cause people - whether a mother breastfeeding her child or a sexual partner reluctant to disclose their HIV status - to risk transmitting HIV rather than attract suspicion that they might be infected. But the walls of stigma and silence are weakening. There is evidence of progress on every continent.
Leaders are speaking out at the highest level. The rights of people living with HIV/AIDS are being defended through the courts. Standards are being set in the workplace. Schools, the media and youth education programmes are helping to create a generation better equipped to live in the world of AIDS.
Let no-one ever again risk transmitting HIV for fear of attracting suspicion that they might be infected - whether a mother breastfeeding her child or a sexual partner reluctant to disclose their HIV status.
This year's world AIDS campaign challenges us - under the slogan "Live and Let Live" - to ensure that all people, with or without HIV, can realise their human rights and live in dignity.
It challenges leaders everywhere to demonstrate by example that speaking up about AIDS is a point of pride, not a source of shame. It challenges us to replace stigma with support, fear with hope, and silence with solidarity.
It challenges us to act on the understanding that this work begins with each and every one of us.
Programme Director, the challenge is for all of us to work towards an improved, accessible and affordable health system. There must be better access to treatments, more vigorous prevention efforts, more effective social outreach, and support for those most vulnerable, particularly orphans.
As a partnership we MUST use every opportunity openly to discuss the issue of AIDS.
As Partners Against AIDS, together we pledge to care.
And so today we join hands in the Partnership, fully aware that our unity is our strength. The simple but practical action that we take today is tomorrow's insurance for our nation.
There is no other moment but the present, to take action.
We must BREAK THE SILENCE
Break the silence of fear, ignorance, shame and the silence that cannot risk honesty.
We must break the silence of embarrassment. The silence that cannot tell a partner, "I am infected".
But above all we must work together to break the silence of avoidance and rejection of those infected and affected by the virus. Break the silence of the death certificate that will not use the word "AIDS".
Yes, let us break the SILENCE OF DEATH.
I thank you.
Contact person: George Mohlamonyane 082 802 8460 / 013 766 2288
Issued by Office of the Premier, Mpumalanga
5 December 2002
Advertisement
EMAIL THIS ARTICLE SAVE THIS ARTICLE FEEDBACK
To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
