RATES of new HIV infections in the Chris Hani District municipal area have gone up to 34% Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM) special programmes unit political head Nonzukiso Matiwane said.
She was speaking during the candle light memorial shortly before executive mayor Kholiswa Vimbayo delivered her state of the district address in Cala. Matiwane said the national government had started a new campaign for 2017 to 2022 which would focus on prevention. It could not be immediately established from which percentage the figures had increased.
“It is more expensive to cure than to prevent. We can’t wait for people to get sick and cure them. But as we change focus to prevention we will need partnerships for effectiveness of the campaign.” Matiwane said the Masiphathisane programme, headed by the office of premier Phumulo Masualle was the solution.
She said the programme, which aims to establish war rooms and has earned Masualle the nickname of Simanxadanxada (we are busy), was facing teething challenges. Five candles were lit during the memorial. Yellow represented breaking the silence, green for treatment, care and support and purple for hope, red stood for love while white represented peace.
CHDM council chief whip Bongiwe van Heerden lit the yellow, Sakhisizwe Municipality council speaker Kholiswa Faku lit the green and Intsika Yethu mayor Jongisizwe Cengani lit the purple. CHDM council speaker Mxolisi Koyo lit red while Vimbayo lit the white candle. The state of the district address will be in The Rep next Friday.
