Statement on World Aids Day 2011

30 November 2011

The South African Communist Party joins millions of people throughout the world in the commemoration of the World Aids Day for 2011 tomorrow the 1st of December 2011. Whilst our structures and members throughout the country are joining the planned activities by Government and other Progressive Organisations, we have also taken a decision to use the 18th Plenary session of the 12th Congress Central Committee taking place from the 2nd to 4th December at the Randburg Towers Inn Hotel to commemorate the Worlds Aids Day.

Our message to millions of South Africans and the entire globe is informed amongst others by the following:

• HIV, AIDS and Tuberculosis continue to contribute significantly to the burden of diseases faced by the working class and the poor of our society.
• Let`s all join hands on the fight to decrease maternal and child mortality in the Country which is at a level which is extremely unacceptable. In doing so our aim is to increase life expectancy.
• Let`s all play a role on combating HIV and AIDS and decrease the burden of diseases caused amongst others by TB.
• Let`s mobilize communities, government departments, private sector and everyone in the society to make the health system work effectively, especially our public hospitals and clinics.
• Renew call for a developmental state-owned pharmaceutical company.
• Let`s all give support to Government on ensuring that the National Health Insurance is implemented as per the plan presented by the Minister of Health Comrade Aaron Motsoaledi.
• We encourage our communities to establish People`s Health Committees to work with hospital and clinic committees to monitor the state of health in their communities, advocate healthy lifestyles and preventative living systems and ensure the hospitals and clinics are functioning very well with personnel, medication and treatment dispensed with the ethos of Batho Pele.

We equally condemn in the strongest terms possible the suggestions by Hellen Zille on the prize she is putting for people to test their HIV and AIDS status. This kind of conduct by leaders like Zille is shocking but not unexpected. This is what indeed the DA stands for, to punish people who are ill or infected and affected by diseases without any form of solidarity and sympathy and create a platform for the rich to look after themselves and the state to forgo its citizens.

It is also important for the leadership of the South African Communist Party to commend all those who heeded the call for action to stop the transmission of new infections by taking the simple but at time difficult step to test the HIV status, and we will continue to call for all others to also do so.

Lastly December 1 falls within 16 days of activism against violence on women and children - major impact of HIV and AIDS is on women especially given patriarchy - vulnerability of rural women whose partners are normally migrant workers. We also call on society to take care of women and children and reject any form of abuse meted against them.

Issued by the SACP

Contact:
Mhlekwa Nxumalo, Acting National Spokesperson
011 339 3621 (office) or 072 517 7761 (mobile)