Premier Mabuza instructs municipalities and government departments to increase budgets for provincial and local Aids councils
14 October 2013
Mpumalanga Premier David
Mabuza has instructed both municipalities and provincial government
departments to increase their budgets for the Mpumalanga Provincial
Aids Council [MPAC] in an effort to maximise impact in the fight
against HIV and AIDS.
Speaking in his capacity as
the chairperson of MPAC at its sitting held in KaMhlushwa on Friday
[11 October 2013] in Nkomazi Municipality,
Premier Mabuza said the budgets were not sufficient to effectively
support the work of the provincial and the local aids councils.
He said an increased budget
would enable the councils to be able to do their work properly of
mobilising communities to take responsibility on matters of HIV and
AIDS such as not engaging on unsafe sex, knowing their status and
further give support to those who are infected and affected by the
virus.
“If you want to fight this
kind of a battle, you must arm yourself by having dedicated
programmes that you must carry out. In order for you to achieve on
those programmes you need reasonable resources to systematically go
all out and attack this scourge.
“Municipalities and
provincial government departments should increase their budgets that
deal with the fight against HIV and AIDS, otherwise any other thing
they would be doing is pointless because the nation is sick.
“I am not happy with current
funds budgeted for the fight against HIV and AIDS. We have to be
aggressive in our approach by doing certain things extra ordinary in
order to emerge victorious from this war,” said Mabuza.
Mabuza said he wanted
Mpumalanga to be counted amongst the provinces that have worked hard
in fighting the HIV and AIDS scouge. Currently the province is the
second worst hit by the scourge with Gert Sibande District
Municipality having more infections at 46 percent and has budgeted
only R1.3million.
He explained that the
existing budgets catered for government alone and the civil society
which was regarded as crucial in the battle had no funds. He said he
wanted to see the civil society also taking an active participation
instead of waiting for government.
He added that the basic
budget to carry work by the civil society needed to be funded by
government. The Premier subsequently demanded integrated plans which
determining the activities of both the civil society and government.
“The intention of government
is to teach communities at large to take responsibility. Currently I
do not see the ‘working together’ between government and civil
society in getting the nation in our province to focus in the fight
against HIV and AIDS.
“If we are faced in one
direction as a province, we will definitely succeed. We can only win
this war if as a province we have the right attitude. As people have
more confidence on civil society, we must therefore ensure that we
get this sector to participate actively,” said Mabuza.
Mabuza said he was
nevertheless very encouraged to see the few steps taken by the
council in the fight against HIV and AIDS that it was making
progress. He said the communities in the province had entered a
stage where they could “talk and sing” about the matters related to
HIV and AIDS.
During the sitting a certain
doctor appreciated the MPAC’s efforts of dealing with the pandemic
but cautioned that the reports should not be generalised. He further
warned that the municipalities should not concentrate on the numbers
of people who attend their planned gatherings to educate people
about HIV and AIDS, but should focus on the impact their sessions
had made.
A traditional healer
applauded the Nkomazi Local Aids Council for involving them in
dealing with the disease. He said as an individual, he had sent more
than 300 patients for testing for HIV and that more than 500 of his
initiates had tested.
The delegates at the sitting
were speechless when young HIV and AIDS ambassadors who are living
with a virus educated them on how to constantly take anti-retroviral
drugs.
Issued by Zibonele Mncwango
Spokesperson: Mpumalanga Premier
Mpumalanga Provincial Government
Office of the Premier
Tel: (013) 766 2453
Mobile: 079 491 0163
E-mail: zmncwango@mpg.gov.za