12 May 2002
Director of Ceremonies,
The General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches,
Representatives of the united States Church World Service
Leaders of Churches of Southern Africa,
Members of the business community,
Representatives of all levels of Government,
Community Leaders,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Allow me to begin by wishing all mothers here and throughout the country, a wonderful Mother's Day and best wishes for the rest of the year.
I have been deeply moved by the invitation for me to join the South African Council of Churches in this milestone prayer service.
I am truly honoured to be part of the launch of this crucial campaign, to fight against the stigmatisation of those affected and infected by HIV and AIDS. We must indeed congratulate the South African Council of Churches for organising this worthwhile programme.
It is also significant that the SACC is launching such a campaign in this historic arena of struggle, Soweto, and particularly in Regina Mundi, a site that is symbolic of the struggle against apartheid, which was fought and won.
We can only derive inspiration and immense optimism from meeting in a church where eminent leaders of the people from various sectors met and articulated what needed to be done to fight for our freedom. As part of those heroic struggles we are now a free people.
Brothers and sisters, the SACC call to do battle against HIV and AIDS is highly significant as we believe the church and the entire religious sector have a critical role to play in preventing the spread of the disease, raising awareness and encouraging communities to provide care and support for those affected and infected by the disease.
This launch today also emphasises that we can achieve a lot if we work together. no single sector can win this war on its own; it has to be a collective effort, with each sector playing its own role towards a common goal.
In this regard, this campaign by the SACC is bound to take the struggle forward as it will reach thousands of people through the various members churches. We trust that in the same spirit, communities will respond with strong support.
We have gone a long way in the fight against HIV/AIDS as a country, but we still have a lot of work to do as well. One of the challenges we face is that of ensuring that the high awareness levels lead to the eradication of the fear of the disease. This fear leads to denial and breeds negative stereotypes and stigmatisation. It is only when you have no fear of your enemy that you can be able to defeat it.
Negative attitudes can result in people being denied the treatment, care and support they need. The stigma attached to the disease also discourages people from taking the HIV test to find out their status, or from declaring the cause of illness or death in their families.
Government is intensifying its campaign against discrimination at all levels, and will continue to investigate further legal avenues for the affected and infected. The Bill of Rights in the Constitution protects everyone from being discriminated against regardless of health or status.
Colleagues, we all need to work together to spread the message that when we call for a partnership against AIDS, we mean a partnership against the disease, and not a partnership against people living with the disease and their families.
Another campaign we need to wage together is that of volunteerism in the fight against the disease. I am sure the religious sector joins us in praising those unsung heroes and heroines who volunteer their services to educated people about the disease, those who spend countless hours working in hospices and those involved in home based care.
We must also salute our doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers who face the impact of this disease everyday.
Let us also take our hats off to relatives and neighbours who provide emotional and material support to those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. All of them need to be acknowledged and encouraged and we should learn from them.
Such patriotic efforts should serve to encourage others to volunteer to contribute in alleviating the suffering and pain caused by the disease.
We are also, as Government, deeply concerned about the conditions of families affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and are doing all we can to assist, through foster care grants, assistance to child-headed households, food parcels and so on.
We are also improving the programme of home-based care and community-based care. The budget for this will increase over three years, rising from R25,5m year to R138m in 2004/5.
But most of all, we must emphasise the need for care and support. In this regard, let me remind all of us about the International Candlelight Memorial Day, on the 19th of May.
This day is set aside to honour the memory of those who have died from AIDS and related illnesses, and to show support for those living with HIV/AIDS.
The international theme this year is "Share your Vision for a Brighter Tomorrow". We call on all South Africans to light a candle on that day to dedicate or re-dedicate ourselves to the fight against AIDS. We are asking people to create a vision for a brighter future, a vision of a caring society.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me reiterate how honoured I am to be sharing this occasion with you today. Allow me, in the spirit of this launch, to use this opportunity to call on all our people to join hands in a campaign of hope.
Let us mobilise our strength as a nation and as individuals to ensure that, we are able to manage, reduce and in the long run, defeat this epidemic.
I wish you all the best in this campaign, and assure you of our full support. Together, we can build hope and inspire optimism and confidence in our nation.
I thank you.