Unisa online - Igniting hope

HIV/Aids is a matter that transcends Unisa structures, provincial divide and the country at large. Hence Unisa staff, students and affiliates gathered in the ZK Matthews Hall on Friday 14 May 2010 to remember the millions of South Africans who are infected or affected by HIV/Aids on a daily basis.

The Unisa HEAIDS Institutional Coordinating Committee (HICC) hosted an International Aids Candlelight Memorial to commemorate over 25 years of Aids awareness and activism in collaboration with the Global Health Council, the Memorial coordinating agency.  The historic Candlelight Memorial is among the world’s oldest and largest campaigns against the disease, and seeks to promote four key advocacy priorities: reducing stigma and discrimination; ensuring access to treatment, prevention and care; increasing resources for HIV and Aids, malaria, TB and other related issues; and promoting greater involvement by affected communities. The theme for the memorial was “Many lights for human rights”.

The guest of honour, Tender Mavundla, a singer and motivational speaker, was accompanied by Prof  Tinyiko Maluleke, Executive Director: Research; Dr Thandi Sidzumo-Mazibuko, Executive Director: Corporate Affairs and HICC Chair; Ms Vicky Malefo, Manager: HIV/Aids Division; and Mr Nicholas Maluleke, Executive Director: Learner Support.

Prof Maluleke said such a memorial was to remember the many millions in South Africa who are knowingly living with HIV/Aids, as they are an example of courage, hope and dignity. The day was also an opportunity to reflect on those who do not know their status (no matter what the reason), to remember the spouses, parents and children who have been left behind because of HIV/Aids-related deaths, to remember the infants born with the disease and to never forget the millions of health workers who are faced with the disease on a daily basis.

Dr Sidzumo-Mazibuko said because HIV/Aids knows no race, gender, class, wealth or borders, in its unique way it that has brought society together. During her speech, she shed light on the HICC and provided a snapshot of the HIV/Aids policy for staff and students.

Dr Sidzumo-Mazibuko said the HICC was an institutional structure whose composition was informed by the guidelines of the Higher Education HIV and Aids Programme, HEAIDS, which is the higher education sector response to the pandemic. Membership of the HICC comprises equitable representation of key institutional stakeholder constituencies. Of strategic significance to the composition of the HICC is the representation of, and active participation of, some members of the Executive Management Committee. 

“The key mandate of the HICC is mainly to provide requisite institutional strategic leadership and oversight on matters pertaining to HIV and Aids. Specifically, the HICC is mandated to ensure effective and efficient implementation of the Unisa HIV and Aids Policy for staff and students as well as to monitor the implementation of activities that are geared towards translating institutional strategic objectives on HIV and Aids into plausible interventions,” she said. To date, the HICC has committed itself to hosting four major HIV and Aids awareness campaigns every year. These include the following:

• Condom Week which is observed globally during the month of February and is in keeping with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Sexual and Reproductive Health Month 
• Annual International AIDS Candlelight Memorial 
• Khomanani or Partnerships Against HIV and Aids in August 
• Red Ribbon Month and World Aids Day, which takes place from 1 November to1 December annually

Having been diagnosed with HIV in 2001, Mavundla is definitely a living testimony of “positive living”. The 28-year old, who recently completed recording her debut Afro-Pop/Afro Soul album entitled “Tender Moments”, candidly shared her life story and how she contracted the virus at age 19. She spoke of how she was never counselled on the effects of having HIV and how she continued with her life of serious partying and drinking. “I was merely a teen going through a stage with no-one to control me or wake me up,” she said. Eventually when the decision to change her lifestyle was made, Mavundla made every effort to better herself. She is now on antiretrovirals (ARVs) and is living healthily.

Apart from encouraging women, young women in particular, to be more aware of the sexual behaviour, she also advised men on how to be responsible partners. She also said it was important for the government to increase the resources provided to those living with HIV/Aids so they are able to live with care and dignity.

“We can win this fight if we all take a stand against this pandemic and defend our people. Those infected, like myself, don’t need your sympathy; we need love, understanding and perseverance,” she said.

Some of Tender’s musical accolades include winning the SABC 1 Jam Alley Megastar Competition in 1997, making it to the top five of the Gospel Star Search and participating in the 2001 SA Idols competition. 

A group of staff and students then joined Maluleke in lighting the ceremonial candle, while the audience switched on their torches and held them high up to commemorate the auspicious lighting of the candle. Each individual on stage was also given a candle and asked to extinguish the flame with their fingers to feel the pain of those infected and affected by HIV/Aids.

The historic Candlelight Memorial takes place every year on the third Sunday in May and is led by more than 1 000 candlelight coordinators who host memorials for their communities in over 100 countries worldwide.