The latest HIV-infection figures of 29% among pregnant women suggest a first-time decline may be starting for the pandemic, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said on Thursday. ”The overall picture suggests that HIV-prevalence in South Africa may be at a point where we should begin to witness a downward trend,” Tshabalala-Msimang said.
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A beaming Nelson Mandela cut birthday cake, gave hugs and received gifts at his annual children’s party in Johannesburg on Tuesday. The children sang Happy Birthday to the 89-year-old shortly after his arrival at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund offices.
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Nelson Mandela once took out his wallet at his annual childrens’ party so that a child could buy his grandmother some cake. The story goes that at his 85th birthday celebrations Mandela met a 12-year-old boy who looked after his sick and elderly grandmother, and asked the boy what he would do with 20 shillings.
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The most important part of former president Nelson Mandela’s legacy is that our common humanity matters more than our differences, former United States president Bill Clinton said on Thursday. ”Our differences are wonderful, they make life more interesting, but our common humanity matters more,” said Clinton.
Countrywide pay protests by public servants ended peacefully on Wednesday with conflicting claims on the turnout. One union said 600 000 workers took part in countrywide marches, while the government put the figure at 70 000. Congress of South African Trade Unions spokesperson Patrick Craven said reports suggested Wednesday’s events had been ”excellent”.
A total public-service shutdown next Friday and a complete strike next Wednesday by all Congress of South African Trade Unions affiliates has been called for by the federation. This comes as negotiations between the state and public-sector unions are expected to resume in the Public Sector Coordinating Bargaining Council on Friday.
Three of South Africa’s trade-union giants, with a combined membership of about 600 000, are considering sympathy action with striking public servants. The country’s largest union, the National Union of Mineworkers will meet attorneys on Thursday to see if full-blown industrial action can be taken in a shorter period than the required seven days’ notice.
Severe shortages of health staff in four Southern African countries is the main barrier to expanding HIV/Aids treatment, according to a Medecins sans Frontières report released on Thursday. The report, Help Wanted indicates that more than one million people need Aids treatment but are not getting it.
The government’s new electronic national traffic information system, eNaTIS, had processed more than two million transactions by Tuesday, but received heavy criticism from the motor industry for slow service and backlogs. ”Since April 12 to date we’ve done 2,3-million transactions in total,” said Department of Transport spokesperson Ntau Letebele.
Part of Harrison Street in Johannesburg came to a standstill on Monday as residents of an inner-city block were evicted. Johannesburg central deputy sheriff James Calitz said the private eviction was under a high court order granted in early December, which gave residents until February 28 to leave the building.