The Imam of the Louis Trichardt Muslim community, Moulan Ismail, called on all South Africans to stick to their partners. Addressing the hundreds of peope who braved the rain to celebrate the birth of the prophet Muhammed at the Christiyaasrafiya Mosque in Thohoyandou during the weekend, he said AIDS was a monster that would wipe humanity from the face of the earth if it was not taken seriously.

Speaking during the occasion, Moulana Ismail said the whole country would perish if no concrete preventative measures were taken to curb the scourge of AIDS, which now resembles a plague. He said all other methods to curb the scourge have been tried and was not proving effective as more and more people continue to die on a daily basis.

He added that total abstinence and sticking to only one partner was the only possible solution to the disease. "Stop having many partners and concentrate on your spouse and the battle will be won; one man, one wife," he said. According to him, unfaithfulness amongst spouses was leading to widespread new infections that take place on a daily basis. "Let’s remain faithful to our wives and also encourage our wives to do the same," he said.

He also said that the world’s other big enemy was the wars which are ravaging and tearing communities apart. "Pray for an end to these barbaric wars that are wiping and tearing once closely knit communities apart," he said.