The Department of Defence has denied discriminating against people living with HIV/Aids, saying there is no ban on such individuals doing civilian jobs in the military.
”But all recruits for active military duty have to pass a comprehensive health assessment — including an HIV/Aids test — to be accepted,” defence ministerial spokesperson Sam Mkhwanazi said on Thursday.
”This is standard practice in the military. Recruits for active duty are also being turned away for things such as poor eyesight, bad hearing, diabetes and even for being overweight.”
Mkhwanazi queried the outrage of some organisations over a statement this week by Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota that the army could not accept people living with HIV/Aids.
Lekota said there was no point in recruiting such individuals, explaining: ”You can’t take ill people into the positions into the army. It’s not useful.”
Mkhwanazi said: ”When the minister alluded to this, he did not say anything new. He was merely stating standing policy in the Department of Defence.”
Individuals applying for civilian posts in the department did not have to undergo the same comprehensive health assessment. Such jobs would be open to people living with HIV/Aids.
”So, it would be wrong to say we are discriminating,” Mkhwanazi said.
The latest criticism of Lekota came from the South African Council of Churches (SACC), which accused the minister of fuelling the stigma of HIV/Aids.
”It is immoral to consider a person living with HIV/Aids as unfit for service within the defence force,” the SACC said in a statement.
”Surely, the South African National Defence Force will not apply the same criteria for people suffering from tuberculosis.”
The SACC said it intended seeking an audience with Lekota on the matter.
Mkhwanazi said every application for a position in the military was being considered on its own merit, depending on the area of deployment.
If the application was for, say, a foot soldier in the army, a full health assessment was crucial.
”We need to make sure that the recruit will be able to withstand the rigours of active military duty,” Mkhwanazi said. ”Different rules will apply for someone seeking to become a clerk, for example.”
The National Association of People Living with HIV/Aids earlier in the week accused the military of trampling on the very rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
”Science has demonstrated that HIV-positive people could live longer. But now they are refused an opportunity to earn a living,” the organisation said. — Sapa