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The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and the National Association of People Living with HIV (NAPWA) call on Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza to take leadership in the fight against HIV. Mpumalanga province has shown an increase in HIV prevalence of 2.0% from 34.7% in 2009 to 36.7% in 2011. Prevalence in Gert Sibande district is as high as 46.1%. Meanwhile, Aids Councils in the province are dysfunctional and without committed leadership.

TAC and NAPWA acknowledge that in his recent State of the Province Address, Premier Mabuza committed himself to leading the Provincial AIDS Council. They also acknowledge that certain steps have been taken by the Premier’s office in addressing the health crisis in the province, particularly in Gert Sibande. However, TAC and NAPWA are calling on the Premier to take leadership in the fight against HIV by personally chairing the Provincial Aids Council meetings and ensuring that all Local Aids Councils are launched and functioning by June 2013.
 
On the morning of Friday 19 April, TAC and NAPWA will peacefully picket outside the Graceland Hotel in Secunda where Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe will chair the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) Plenary Meeting.

Two memoranda of call to action will be handed over to Deputy President Kgalema Mothlanthe and Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuzo at the end of the SANAC meeting.

The full texts of the memoranda are available on request.

For more info and to arrange interviews, please contact:
Thandi Maluka, District Coordinator Gert Sibande, 0722792112.