“Disclose your HIV status to your relatives,” the MEC for Health, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, advised local residents during a TB and Aids Awareness Campaign held at Dzata on Saturday.

Ramathuba encouraged people who are not infected to remain HIV negative. “We also try to promote voluntary testing, so that the villagers can live responsibly,” she said and suggested that those who are infected should join support groups. She also spoke out about the stigma often attached to people living with HIV/Aids and said that residents must disclose their status to friends and family members, so as to get the necessary support.

“When we received the invitation, we were also told that a number of residents are dying at the villages and nobody knows the cause of their death. We are of the view that residents of Vhembe district will develop a change of heart and live positively and responsibly,” she said.

Ramathuba was especially concerned about the effects HIV and AIDS have on young people in the community. “We must change the public’s attitude towards schools and we must change our image of schools and what they do. We must enable teachers to create a learning environment that is orientated towards social and self-empowerment.”

Ramathuba said a phenomenon which was emerging in the communities was that older men who were wealthier and financially sound were having sexual affairs with younger women. “This disturbing phenomenon is posing a very serious threat for both the sugar daddies and the younger women. The statistics of older men who are being infected with HIV/Aids are growing on a daily basis. In the process, the innocent spouses of the sugar daddies also become victims. I plead with all middle-aged and older men to refrain from these tendencies,” said Ramathuba.

When addressing the community, Vhavenda King Toni Mphephu Ramabulana indicated that he was aware that the Aids epidemic was likely to impact on many areas of the public service, including service delivery improvement and poverty alleviation. He encouraged community members to be active in the fight against the pandemic. “We need teachers who can respond to the needs of our country,” he said.

An HIV/Aids ambassador, Elisa (not her real name), said it was difficult for her to disclose her status because she feared rejection from the local community members. “My relatives immediately ran away from me when they learnt that I was HIV positive. However, the support I am (now) getting from my close family members is overwhelming. I believe in myself and I know I still have a lot to offer to my community. I would like to discourage those who think that being HIV positive is a death warrant. HIV is like any other disease,” she said.

Elisa stressed that she was a complete human being. “It is only my flesh that has been contaminated with the virus,” she said.