The Mail & Guardian has had many run-ins with Inkatha Freedom Party president Mangosuthu Buthelezi. But we would be the first to applaud his exemplary leadership on HIV/Aids, which stands in sharp contrast with the muddled, secretive and ideologically driven approach of his counterparts in the ruling African National Congress. Clearly at his prompting, KwaZulu-Natal became one of the first provinces to make nevirapine generally available to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus — in defiance of national policy.
Last week Buthelezi was able to keep the public good in mind despite his private grief. At the funeral of his son, Prince Nelisuzulu, he said: “I reach out to all other people who have died of HIV/Aids. My son did.” Compare such frank and courageous willingness to confront the stigma surrounding the disease with President Thabo Mbeki’s last known public utterance on the subject: “I’ve never known anyone who died of Aids … I honestly haven’t.”
Because it combines powerful taboos around sex and death, and remains widely misunderstood, HIV/Aids triggers a particularly strong and tenacious horror that has led, in some communities, to ostracism and violence Stigma in turn feeds shame, secrecy, fear, ignorance and intolerance — the prime enemies in the fight against the Aids pandemic. Myths about the causes of and cures for the disease abound. Unlawful discrimination against those infected with the virus remains common. And people are reluctant to be tested, for fear of discovering they are HIV-positive, or to publicise their condition by seeking treatment. Botswana is a case in point — despite the country’s high infection rate and a government treatment campaign, few sick people have come forward.
A further consequence is that organisations that should be bringing light to the darkness fail in their public mandate. It does no credit to the Health Professions Council that the Treatment Action Campaign had to take court action last year to force it to discipline an errant doctor. ANC members complain that the party has no internal support structures for people with Aids.
For public figures to “come out”, as Buthelezi has done, is one antidote to stigma — provided, of course, that there is no coercion. One would like to see ANC leaders following his courageous cue when they or their family members are infected.
But much more is needed. In particular, the highest levels of government should encourage openness by discussing HIV/Aids, its causes and ways of preventing and treating it, at every opportunity. South African society needs to be saturated with reliable information, not just from such bodies as the TAC and loveLife, but from official sources, too.
Mbeki must lead the way. He has an opportunity to so when, as South Africa’s re-elected president, he addresses Parliament on May 21.
Citizens of the world
In football lore, a team must protect its lead because the game is not over until the final whistle blows. It is with similar caution that we should approach the South African World Cup soccer bid, and reports that we have taken an early lead against main rivals Morocco in the battle to become the first African team to host the world’s premier sporting event.
Doomsayers need to note that South Africa is arguably more safe for international sporting events than either the United States or countries in Europe, as the bomb blasts in Athens, host of the Olympics, suggest.
If it is to be believed, the gung-ho coverage of the bid by most of the local media is good news. But play continues, and celebrations like those planned by the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Council in Port Elizabeth to coincide with the announcement next Saturday are off-side. Memories of Fifa president Sepp Blatter opening an envelope and reading the words “Deutschland” (as hosts of the 2006 tournament) should remain at the forefront of the collective memory.
Still, there is no harm in listing the advantages that would accrue to South Africa if it won. The economic benefits arising from tourism and the sale of tickets would be enormous. Revenue from ticket sales alone is projected at $500-million, and this takes no account of the promised boost to the local construction, hotel and transport industries. Matches would be played at stadiums round the country, ensuring that the benefits are widely spread.
If it comes our way, the cup will also enable us to continue repaying the debt we owe the Southern African region for the ravages of the apartheid security forces. A World Cup here would be equally a tournament for Botswana, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Swaziland.
Above all would be the powerful symbolism of a sub-Saharan African nation scooping the tournament for the first time and staging it successfully. It would signal Africa’s long-delayed arrival on the global stage, as a full player rather than a passenger or casualty. Loud and clear, it would say: we Africans are proud and equal citizens of the world.