It seems the battle between Aids activists and government on how to move forward in the fight against HIV/Aids is (almost) over. The National Strategic Plan on HIV/Aids is ready for implementation.
One of the plan’s goals is to “identify and remove legal, policy, religious and cultural barriers to effective HIV prevention, treatment and support”. Good thinking! But how, exactly?
Consider King Goodwill Zweli-thini. He is said to support virginity testing, despite laws making it illegal to test girls under the age of 16. He and others believe it’s a good thing. How would a local chief from a small village be expected to act differently?
Cleansing after a death is a common practice in African families. Practices vary, but one type of cleansing is raising safety concerns: ku basisa (in Tsonga) or inhlambululo (in Zulu). After losing a spouse one must abstain from sex for a year, after which one is expected to find a man or woman to have sex with for seven consecutive days.
The rules are clear: a condom must not be used. The “cleaner” could be a relative, previous partner or a stranger. And there must be no relationship between the two afterwards.
It is a concern that people are still being “sexually cleansed” despite knowing there is a risk of HIV/Aids.
The use of condoms or testing for HIV before participating in a sexual cleansing ceremony could save a lot of lives. Isn’t that what traditional leaders are supposed to do? Protect their communities? Culture cannot be practised in a way that is inconsistent with constitutionally guaranteed rights.
Pholokgolo Ramothwala is a field researcher with the Aids Law Project