One would think that wearing an HIV- positive T-shirt to the 46664 Aids concert last Saturday would be considered normal — a political statement to show support for all those who live with the stigma of Aids. But the calculating glances and embarrassed stares judging my sexual behaviour, my age, my race, my class and whether I am really HIV-positive or just an Aids activist was slightly disconcerting. On reflection, I should have expected this reaction from the Diesel-clad-gelled-hair-tanned-well-groomed Capetonians crammed into Green Point stadium for the launch of the first-ever global multimedia campaign to raise money for HIV/Aids.
I must confess that my cynicism speedometer was red-lining before I even got to the stadium and was reinforced by the paltry black banners on the stands to indicate that this was an Aids awareness concert.
It would be just another once-off, token event for white, middle-class South Africans to feel good about buying a ticket for an Aids concert, which absolves them for ignoring the epidemic for the past decade, I thought. Walking in the midst of the Castle Lager-guzzling, white male heterosexuals — the group that thinks HIV/Aids is not its problem — seemed so far from the real issues around Aids and all the people who have died from this killer virus.
The T-shirt made me question whether this is how young women with HIV feel — vulnerable and exposed. I felt insulted when a young, drunken guy jokingly said: “Hey, I will definitely have sex with you, even without a condom.” Being singled out by a photographer trying to show the point of the concert by shooting a woman in an HIV-positive T-shirt made me think of how the media dehumanises the pandemic through statistics and token images.
But then Madiba walked on to the stage. His presence radiated to all 40 000 people in the stadium. The roar of the crowd was deafening. If there is anyone on this Earth who can motivate the world to take action against this killer virus, to prolong the lives of 54-million people with HIV — it is Nelson Mandela. He made me forget that in 1995 this concert could have been achieved with the R14,5-million that then-health minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma squandered on the play, Sarafina II.
“Using the universal language of music and wonder of modern technology — you can go to the website and call to pledge — together we can fight Aids.”
It was with these words that Mandela introduced people who perhaps have felt far-removed from the pandemic a mechanism through which they could help in the fight against Aids.
And they can rest assured that their money will be used correctly thanks to Madiba’s association with this cause.
Disregarding the reasons why he never initiated this campaign while he was president, I realised that he was the reason behind the involvement of international musicians in the concert, its MTV and Tiscali sponsorship, as well as the presence of guests such as Oprah Winfrey and Richard Branson. Tears flowed freely while he spoke and lighters were held to the sky. Mandela made us believe that we could be better human beings. Throughout the five-hour concert the audience was bombarded with messages to call the 46664 number or log on to the website by famous actors like Robert De Niro and HIV/Aids activist Richard Feachem, who urged: “Give one minute of your life.”
For three black students from Cape Town the positive aspect of the show was the absence of black, emaciated bodies flashing on giant screens while artists sang melancholy lyrics of hope.
“Yah, this concert is not as vibey as the last one but at least it is not saying that HIV/Aids is a black disease,” said Lebo Mabana (20), a business student.
It was difficult to focus on the steady stream of artists who came on to the stage but one who stood out was Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens), looking like an imam who had just stepped out of a Bo Kaap mosque, getting the crowd to sing his classic, Wild World. But the goose-bump-raising song of the evening was by Peter Gabriel, who practically choked with emotion while singing lyrics written by Steve Biko. “It was an emotional song because it reminded me of all the people we have buried because of this virus,” said Fatima Hassen from the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC).
She said the TAC supports all the efforts of the 46664 organisers. “If it takes international stars and Internet and concerts to mobilise the world against this pandemic, so be it.”
Tiscali, the European Internet company, gets a pat on the back for the successful branding of the 46664 campaign. “Every time I see the number, I associate it with Aids and taking action,” said Lesley Kline, a mother at the concert.”
This was the aim of the campaign, said Diego Massidda, CEO of Tiscali. He said the concert was just the starting point but it was a way to raise awareness in the First World of the mass destruction of HIV/Aids in Africa.
The 46664 concert has shifted the way HIV/Aids awareness and fundraising is approached. Whether the campaign will succeed remains to be seen, but it certainly got off to a good start.