Issued by: Department of Health
HUMAN RIGHTS AND AIDS
Pretoria - As South Africans commemorate the Human Rights Focus Week from the 15th March to the 21st March, Friday the 19th will be dedicated to raising awareness of issues affecting a group of South Africans whose human rights continue to be violated in the country, that is people living with HIV/AIDS.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on AIDS (IMC) which is headed by Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, and established to oversee the implementation of a South African response to the AIDS epidemic, finds it ironic that South Africans, who have a rich history of fighting against any violation of human rights should today be violating others' rights.
The IMC has reiterated the Government's strong condemnation of the killing of Ms Gugu Dlamini in KwaZulu Natal late last year. Ms Dlamini was allegedly killed after disclosing that she was already infected with HIV and the Committee is calling up all South Africans once again to join hands in supporting all those who have disclosed their HIV status. The IMC says no stone must be left unturned in bringing to book anyone who threatens, discriminate against and stigmatise a person living with the AIDS virus.
At the launch of the Partnership Against AIDS on the 9th of October last year by Deputy President Mbeki, the campaign partners - leaders of different sectors within the socio-political and economic sectors in the country - pledged to ensure that the human rights and dignity of people living with HIV and AIDS are upheld in all spheres.
Mr Mtholephi Mthimkhulu, the manager of the Partnership Against AIDS, says the Partnership Against AIDS supports the National Association for People Living with AIDS's (NAPWA) disclosure and acceptance campaign.
"Firstly, for South Africa to be able to manage this AIDS pandemic which has the potential to undermine any development in our country, it is important for us to know the magnitude of this epidemic and implement well-informed responses; secondly, many South Africans still do not believe that there is something like AIDS. People who come to the open and say 'I am HIV positive' gives a face to this epidemic and there is no greater love than it coming from someone who says 'this happened to me - please let it not happen to you' Mr Mthimkhulu said.
Date 17 March 1999
Contact: Mr Mtholephi Mthimkhulu
Phone: (012) 312 0151
Cell: 082 574 5081
Fax: (012) 326 0165