18 May 2002
Director of Ceremonies,
His Majesty, the King,
The Minister of Home Affairs,
The Provincial Ministers of Social Welfare and Health,
Inkosi Mkhwanazi and other traditional leaders present,
Members of the Provincial Legislature, councillors and other Community Leaders present
The community of KwaMpukunyoni,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am indeed truly privileged to be part of an occasion of the importance and magnitude such as this one, where we are opening extensions to this valuable institution, the Africa Centre for Health and Population Development. Of immense significance as well, ladies and gentlemen, is that this centre is located in the district of Mkhanyakude, which has received a lot of attention from government and other stakeholders due to the challenges of poverty facing it.
It is also no coincidence that within a few days, two key events are taking place in this district, the opening of the extension of this centre and the International Candlelight Memorial ceremony in Jozini on Sunday. You will also recall that kwaHlabisa in this district is one of the nodal points of the government's integrated sustainable rural development programme. In addition, we were in St Lucia recently for the release of elephants in order to boost tourism, which has potential to make a difference in the economic development of this area.
In addition, some of the residents of this district have benefited from the government's land resettlement programme, in the Bhangazi area.
It is clear therefore, that we take the bringing of a better life in this district quite seriously, and are very keen to form partnerships with other key stakeholders as is happening today.
Ladies and gentlemen, as you know, government has declared poverty and disease as enemies of the people of South Africa. In this regard, we welcome the establishment of centres such as Africa Centre, which provide much needed research, which will assist in informing the policies we make with regards to health and population development.
My brothers and sisters, I must express a sense of pride, optimism and achievement at the truly remarkable and impressive strides the Centre has made in a few short years.
The first thing that struck me about the Africa Centre was how totally holistic it was in its functioning, and in its approach to being an excellent service provider and a leading scientific and research institution. We are convinced that the Centre is destined to become an international model for interventions by government and other agencies in these fields.
The centre is also located in an appropriate area. The Mkhanyakude district is seriously affected by the AIDS epidemic, and already areas such as kwaHlabisa are well known worldwide in this regard.
Given the challenges facing this area, it is significant that in a most unique and innovative way, the Africa Centre is taking science to the people, and conducts high quality research work in a rural setting.
The Centre has developed both the technological capabilities and community involvement to ensure that it will make significant contributions to understanding critical health matters, including HIV and Aids. In this regard, it is noteworthy that both the Government and the Centre are committed to finding a vaccine that will arrest the spread of the HI virus. The work of the scientists in the South African Aids Vaccine Initiative, which is supported and funded by the Government and other donors can benefit from the work of the Centre.
The Government remains committed to scientific research in this regard, as part of its holistic intervention strategy. Colleagues, we have noted that in building partnerships, the Africa Centre not only works closely with local communities but also has a strong, proven commitment to social investment. We should all applaud the fact that the Centre injects more than R30-million into the local economy, that it has created employment for more than a hundred and fifty local young people and uses local, previously disadvantaged labour and contractors for its development needs.
Apart from this, it has also completed a building for the association of the disabled and is housing the northern KwaZulu-Natal operations of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund. The two organisations are busy creating a database of poverty-stricken children in the vast Mkhanyakude district.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me assure you of our undying commitment as Government to intensifying our efforts in fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
In achieving our goals of reducing, managing and eventually defeating the epidemic, we need the support of partners such as the Africa Centre. We therefore must record our appreciation for your support. In its partnership with the Government, the Centre is working with the kwaHlabisa District health authorities and is paying the salaries of four doctors at the Hlabisa hospital. It also provides technical support to the district wide Nevirapine programme and has a fulltime social worker for the community. I must also single out Inkosi Mkhwanazi who donated the land for the new site. Such commitment from our traditional leaders further encourages us.
What is also impressive is the involvement of twenty-four traditional healers as healthcare workers in the all-important anti-TB programme.
Such collaboration and partnerships indicate the uniqueness of this area.
We are also very pleased and encouraged by the role that the Welcome Trust and other donor agencies are playing in providing crucial funding to the Africa Centre. The trust has already invested more than three hundred million Rand in this Centre. Our only hope is that their example will inspire others, across the continent and globe, to respond in equal measure.
Donor funding remains the lifeblood of important health and research facilities, mainly because of the hi-tech equipment required, and used. We were especially satisfied to learn that, already, the Africa Centre has state of the art laboratory facilities focusing on sexually transmitted infections including HIV.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is not surprising that this Centre is successful, given the collaboration with leading institutions such as the Medical Research Council, the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville.
I must also mention the most sophisticated Demographic Surveillance System (DSS) established by the Centre to provide an exhaustive and precise record of a total population in any given area. As you would be aware, statistics is a vital part of our life. That is why our country is one of only twelve in the world to conduct a national Census from time to time.
The DSS provides vital information about the health and health needs of households and communities. It also assesses the impact of interventions on the HIV/Aids epidemic by the Centre. And, of course, it is a sound basis for other studies at the Centre. Ladies and gentlemen, we are visiting this district during an important week in which we honour the memory of those who have died of AIDS, and in which we call upon all South Africans to care for and support those who are infected and affected by the virus. We urge you to light a candle on International Candlelight Day on Sunday, and think of all those who are sick and the care-givers, to think of all the orphans of AIDS, and think of what we can all do to provide support and to build a caring nation.
This district is arguably one of the affected in the whole country and many are feeling the pain and anguish of watching their loved ones wither away and die as they succumb to AIDS. However, let us not lose hope. And, let us get rid of fear. In any battle, you begin your victory once you stop fearing your enemy. We must, together, win the war against poverty, hunger and HIV/AIDS. Let us build a partnership of hope, and know that together, we can make a difference.
Once again, ladies and gentlemen, let me commend the Africa Centre, and everyone involved in its activities. We congratulate you on the very impressive progress you have made since 1998. We also urge you to continue to make an impact in the development of indigenous African ideas, as you continue to search for answers to the complex questions you are grappling with everyday.
May the Africa Centre grow from strength to strength.
I Thank you.