The World AIDS Day which is currently underway  at Kwageza Community Hall in uThukela District Municipality has already generated hope and optimism about the future fight against HIV and AIDS.

In my capacity as the Champion of Operation Sukuma Sakhe deployed in uThukela, today I have joined the District Mayor Cllr Siphiwe Mazibuko, local mayors, religious and traditional leaders, leaders of society, healthcare workers and communities at large during the commemoration of World AIDS Day.

According to records from the KZN Department of Health, more than 2 million people are living with HIV in KZN. About 41, 5% of the people living with HIV are in uThukela District.

Critically, we have about 99 236 people on Anti-Retroviral Treatment in the district.

The World AIDS Day event presents an opportunity to unleash a new leadership that will champion the provincial agenda for the fight against this pandemic.

It is my considered view that this agenda can only be influenced by dedicated leaders who lead from the front.

The primary responsibility of such leaders should be to make a positive impact in their communities. Importantly, what distinguishes these leaders from others is that they have a sense of urgency.

In this regard, I want to commend the local leadership for having functional District AIDS Council and Ward AIDS Committees. These structures have ensured the rollout of an integrated response in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

As government, we undertake to continue to use Operation Sukuma Sakhe to create a ward based grassroots response involving all sectors of the community and acting together outside party political and partisan interests to save our people from this pandemic.

We are appealing to churches and religious fraternity to work much closer with healthcare workers in helping our community to heal and foster behavioural change to defeat social ills.

Amakhosi and traditional leaders have a pivotal role to play in the stabilization of our community. We will continue to work closely with the House of Traditional Leaders and individual Amakhosi to intensify the fight.

In addition, we are emphasizing the need to extend a support to those infected and for communities to help them to access the medication that government has made available free of charge. 

 

Issued by KZN MEC for Finance Nomusa Dube-Ncube