A decade of AIDS

Duration: 5min 45sec

Transcript

THANDEKA: Sele kuyiminyaka elishumi eli lathi lanenkululeko yezisininzi, wona amanani osuleleko kwintsholongwane kagawulayo kumakhosikazi akhulelweyo lathi lanyuka ukusukela ngo1994 nge pesenti ezi- 7.6 ukuya kwezingama 26.5. Ukunganaki, uloyiko, ukunyemba ngokugweba ezo zizinto eziye zaphala phambili kumba kagawulayo nentsholongwane yakhe kumazwe amaninzi noMzantsi Afrika awukhange wahluke kuwo. Noko kunjalo umbutho othe wangowona ukhusela yaye unike ithemba kwabaphila nogawulayo nentsholongwane yakhe i-Treatment Action Campaign wathi wasekwa. Le yiingxelo yokuqala kwezimbini, apho uThandeka Teyise ejonga khona ukuba abalwela abaphila nogawulayo baqamele ngantoni kwimingeni abahlangabezana nayo kulentsholongwane. Ngomso sizakuva izimvo kwicala likarhulumente.

TRANSLATION: Until now, there has been little that people sick with AIDS related illnesses could do to stop the disease. The aim of the Treatment Action Campaign since it started five years ago has been to lobby government to make available a comprehensive care and treatment programme that would deliver antiretroviral drugs to prolong the lives of those suffering from AIDS.   In November last year, government finally approved a care and treatment plan that will provide AIDS medicines in the public health sector. Sipho Mtati, TAC spokesperson, says although government has committed itself to improving the health of people, there has been a lack of implementation in issues concerning HIV/AIDS.

THANDEKA: Ukuzokuthi ga ngoku, mancinane kakhulu amathuba abenokucima izigulo zentsholonwane kagawulayo nesandulela ntsholongwane sakhe.. Kwasekusekweni kombutho iTreatment Action Campaign, kwiminyaka emihlanu eyadlulayo undoqo yayikuku celumngeni kurhulumente ukuba aqwalasele inkqubo yokukhathalela nokumisa icandelo lokunikezela izithomalalisi zikagawulayo ezithi zandise ubomi kwabo bathi bangcikivwe ngugawulayo gawulayo. KuNovember womnyaka ophelileyo urhulumente uye waphumeza inkqubo yokunikezelwa kwezizithomalalisi neyakuthi ijongane nokukhutshwa kwamachiza kwizibhedlele zikarhulumente. USipho Mtati, othethela iTAC uthi nangona urhulumente ebepapshe ekuzinikezeleni kwakhe ukuphucula impilo yabantu akubonakakali oko kusenzeka ingakumbi kwimiba yentsholongwane kagawulayo nogawulayo.

SIPHO:As ummi woMzantsi Afrika zininzi izinto ezincomekayo esinokuthi sithethe ngazo kude kutshone ilanga. Sivotile singabaninzi ithuba elo esingazange sicinge ukuba saze silifumane ngexesha sasisilwa norhulumente wengcinezelo.

Sikwazile ukuba nomgaqo sisiseko ocalucalula amalungelo abantu kakuhle yaye siyayazi ngoku ukuba umntu unelungelo lokuba afumane ezempilo, umntu unelungelo lemfundo sinelungelo lokuthetha phandle xa sibona ukuba izinto azilunganga. Singabaninzi sixolile kakhulu yinkqubo ethe yenzeka kodwa ke kutshintsho naluphina zikhona izinto ezizakuthi zibe ngamagingxigingxi for thina singulombutho singulo mbutho we-Treatment Action Campaign into eye yasityhala ekubeni ukuba masiphakame senze ezintshukumo sizenzileyo kuku boninto yokuba nangona kubhaliwe kwiincwadi zikarhulumente into yokuba urhulumente uzakwenza oku noku malunga neHIV ne AIDS ibe ninzi into esiyibona ingenzeki ukuphucula impilo yabo sele besulekile yaye ukudealishana kakuhle neHIV neAIDS kuMzantsi Afrika uphela. Sibonile into yokuba abantu abaphila nentsholongwane ukubana abantu abaphila neHIV bebengafumani mpatho intle ingakumbi bengafumani nyango kwaphela kangokuba abanye abantu abaninzi baye ba believe(a) ukuba une AIDS sisiphelo sobom bakho, hamba uyofa. Kwintshukumo yethu ebesiyenza besizama ukutshintsha loongqondo besizama loongqondo ithi i-HIV kukuphela kobom yaye ukuba uneAIDS uzakufa because ke amaxesha amaninzi zininzi izinto abantu abanokuzenza yaye kunyanzelekile ukuba kubekho umthetho ozakuthi ukhutshwe uphume uvele kurhulumente ozakuthi abantu mabafumane olu nolu unyango kungoko ke sithe saphakama senza ezintshukumo esizenzileyo.Belilide idabi yaye abanye bethu abaninzi bebe sele beqala ukunikezela ngoba kaloku besisilwa eli idabi sithi rhulumente nazi ii-facts zithi rhulumente abantwana abaninzi bayasuleleka yi-HIV neAIDS makuqaliswe iprogramme ezakuthi incede ukukhusela olusuleleko lwabantwana.

Rhulumente abantu abayi 1500 each day bayasuleleka yiHIV ne AIDS maku improve(we) indlela ekuthi kudestribute ii-condoms yaye nemfundiso eyenzwayo kubonakale into yokubana ayisebenzi kuba kaloku eli nani alihli. Rhulumente abantu abayi 600 bayafa imihla nemihla eMzantsi Afrika bebulawa yiAIDS imost yaba bantu bekunganyanzelekanga ukuba basweleke kuba ukuba bebenokuthi bafumane itreatment bebezakukwazi ukuncedakala.

Zizo ezonto besizibeka kurhulumente kodwa ke amaxesha amanzi urhulumente wethu engamameli nto leyo ke yenze into yokuba sanyanzeleka sithi kwilizwe esilibiza ngokuba likhululekile njengoMzantsi Afrika apho sithe salwa ingcinezelo yaye salwela into yokuba sibe nomgaqo siseko ongowona uphucukileyo elizweni liphela ngoba ke iconstitution yoMzantsi Afrika is one of the best in the world so we can’€™t in a country like that continue to have i-situation apho abantu besweleka yaye kungekho zintshukumo zibonakalayo.  

TRANSLATION: As a South African citizen I would say, a lot has been done. We voted for our democracy an opportunity that many of us were deprived of during times of apartheid. We have a constitution that promotes human rights, today we know that we have a right to health services, we have a right to education, freedom of speech and a right to protest for what we believe is not right. Most of us are happy about the dispensation but we know that in each and every change there’€™s bound to be hiccups. The Treatment Action Campaign stood firm in their campaign for better care and treatment of HIV/AIDS patients because we saw that most people living with HIV/AIDS were sidelined. Those infected felt that HIV/AIDS meant death and the end of the world. In our campaign we are trying to change that perception. I think the government should set a precedent on what treatment should people get and how. These are some of the concerns that made us to fight for treatment. The fight was a long one as a result some of our members were beginning to give up. We made it clear to the government that facts are that children are getting infected let us introduce programmes that will prevent infections of babies. About 1500 people each day are getting infected with HIV, let us improve the distribution of condoms and literature and dissemination of information should be able to help reduce the number of infections and that isn’€™t happening because there’€™s escalation of the virus. On top of that about 600 people die of AIDS everyday in South Africa. These deaths could have been prevented and lives saved. This is the message we were putting across to our government but in vain. In a country with a great constitution and rights that is world-renowned we cannot allow a situation of non-willingness when people are dying.

THANDEKA: USipho Mtati, uthi noko ngoku urhulumente uzinikezele ukuzisa iinkonzo zokujongana nogawulayo nalapho inkqubo yokunikezelwa kwezithomalalisi iye yapapashwa kunyaka ophelileyo.

TRANSLATION: Sipho Mtati, says the government is willing to make a difference after an HIV/AIDS Treatment Treatment Plan for provision of anti AIDS drugs was announced late last year.

SIPHO:   Emveni kokuba idabi belilibi yaye side sanyanzeleka ukuba siye nase zi-court siyokuthi sinikezela kwabakomthetho mabakhe basithethelele ngoba sizame yonke into. Siye sakhuthazeka xa sibona i-cabinet yoMzantsi Afrika kunyaka ophelileyo isithi hayi ke urhulumente uzayiqalisa le nkqubo yonyango lwabantu aba need(a) unyango. Singena kulonyaka we 10 years yoku celebrate(a) idemocracy sinethemba yaye sikhuthazekile kodwa ke as ba iinyanga zihamba as ba ixesha lihamba ibe le plan urhulumente ebeyithethaca kunyaka ophelileyo yaye yavunywa yi cabinet isitsho kakuhle yaye ichaza into nento ekufuneka yenziwe yaye zaye zingenzeki ezi zinto. Siya kengoku ukukhuthazeka kudamba ngoba kaloku siqalisa ukubuza ukuba kwenzeka ntoni na ngoku? Yintoni exingileyo yaye asiwuboni umxhelo besiwubona ukuphela konyaka last year. wokuba iHealth Minister, yaye urhulumente uphela u-committed ukuba ku-implent(we) le plan. Le plan yokunyangwa kwabantu itreatment plan. Into esiyinqwenelayo yeyokuba ngaske urhulumente aqalise ukunika i-drugs kwiiclinics nehospitals esezi choose(iwe) ukuba zizakunika letreatment. Ngaske sibone imeko apho iHealth Minister ibe yiyo ezakuthi abantu mabazilungiselele. Yiyani ezikliniki ukuba sele uzazi ukuba uphila neHIV fika ucele ukuba ujongwe ukuba ingaba ukwesiphi istage kwenzele ukuba kuzoku access(wa) ukuba uyayi need(a) itreatment okanye awuyi need(i). Imost yee provinces they are ready to start but abayifumani le mali kufuneka beyifumene to buy drugs and to train ihealth care workers. Ngaske sibone izinto zi move(a) as soon as possible.

TRANSLATION: We fought an endless battle and we were forced to seek justice from our courts because we tried all we could to convince our government but we seemed to be getting nowhere. We welcome last year’€™s government announcement that they will start providing treatment to those who need it. We enter the 10th year of democracy with hope and enthusiasm. But months are passing by and time is moving on and the government plan that has been passed by the cabinet is not visible because of lack of implementation. Now, we are getting worried and our spirits are dampened because we are now starting to ask; what could be the problem? Because we want implementation, we so wish that the government could start distributing drugs to those clinics and hospitals that are already chosen to administer the treatment. We would like to see the Health Minister telling the people to get ready and to get tested. Those who are HIV positive should be tested to see which stage of the pandemic they are at so that they can be graded accordingly to determine who needs for treatment. Most provinces are ready to start but they haven’€™t received money to buy drugs and to train health care workers. There has to be a drastic move.

E-mail Thandeka Teyise

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