A campaign initiated by The Africa Fund.
August 10, 1992 Memo ' To: Southern Africa Support and Human Rights Groups From: Research Department Re: AIDS in South Africa: Is There a Problem?
With most of the world's attention fixed on the political violence in South Africa, one of the deadliest diseases to ever hit the region goes unnoticed: AIDS. Little has been done to curb the rise of AIDS in South Afri ca, a disease that could cause the deaths of just as many innocent civilians as the current violence unless drastic action is taken soon. The type of action needed will be slow in coming because of the continuing discrimination in the health care system.
The indifference displayed by the South African government will result in an explosive increase in the number of AIDS cases each year. Current as well as predicted future statistics show that the people of South Africa are on a dangerous path to destruction, as the information below indicates:
* The government estimated that 315,000 South Africans would be HIV positive by the end of 1991.
* It is believed that within 10 years, the number of cases of AIDS will rise from between 100,000 to 200,000 to around 5 million.
* Within the next 13 years, experts believe that anywhere from 25-30% of the population will be infected by the virus.
Why then, after reading these shocking statistics, has the government been so apathetic in slowing the spread of the AIDS virus? The government did budget $2.1 million dollars in 1991 to combat the disease, however, this money has gone to programs in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, which are pre dominantly white urban centers; little has been done to aid black suburban townships. In fact, it was the United States that gave Soweto, the largest black township in South Africa, the $243,000 desperately needed to prevent the rapid spread of the virus. Many pleas were made to the South African govern ment for the assistance, but the government did little to help. The eagerness of the government to help only white dominated areas reflects that the system of racial discrimination is still in place in South Africa.
It is tragic that a disease l~ke A!DS is seen only in a political con text, and not seen as a health risk for the entire nation, black and white. This is a national crisis that needs to be addressed, and the system of apart heid is blocking any progress on the issue. Until racial discrimination is eliminated, little can or will be done to thwart the spread of AIDS in South Africa. The.Afr1ca.Fund, 198B~NewYork,N.'Y 10038 (212) 962-1210 TildenJ. LeMelle Cllairm&n J enn:ifer Davis Executive Director Spread of~~i.ds in.SA . -,, cas_ting dark shadow ·:.· Aids could _seriously skew the_ · In add1tion, Dr Coen Slabber,. economy and threaten political Director-General of National Health stability in South Africa, accord- and Population Development, was ing to. t_he Ins__ titute· of Race Rela-. · qpoted in January as saying that _ . 315 000 South Africans would be HIV tiolnnst.-he. lat·es,.t ;.... u· e _o_ f .the_ SAmR_ 's . positive by the end -of the year. . . ~ He said many more were at risk m Social.and- Economic Update, re-· ,- Africa than in Europe, as Aids mainly searcher:·Robin Hamilton says it infected .sexually active adults be seems apparent that Aids will_ affect: tween 15 and 49. every secto~ of tile ,-~onom.:r ·- "'a~d: Whereas in Europe the predomi if it proves to be a· constrrunt on. ec..,, · nant number of cases involved homo anomie growth, it·may in turn retard :,sexual. and bisexual men, as well as or rev~rse efforts to redress t'lie intravenous drug users, in Africa the socio-:economic inequalities". · · ·d f th d. e oc 0 ·. 1''•r -Hamilton· cites a senior :re.:· · highest mci ence e !seas - u curred in heterosexual m_en and search Fellow at the Univei"Sity of women. , Natal, Alan' Whiteside. :as estimating The· SAffiR publication notes that . ·that ®tween 1,3 million and 7 'millic;»n· · many blacks view Aids as a w~ite pepple will· die of Aids by the year_ man's disease aimed at reducmg . 2000. black population growth, while in the - _Mr Whiteside says the first to die white community it is considered to would be the urban elite,. leading to a be a disease restricted to blacks~d loss of manpower. .·. -~ . homosexuals. Emigration danger Mr Hamilton comments that the Government's educational pro- This could be exacerbated by the gramme has been inadequate in faci emigration of professionals seeking litating a change in sexual- behaviour .to escape the Aids epidemic, as well to prevent the spread of Aids. and dis as by the·drying up of immigration to pel myths about the disease. . . . South Africa from Europe. - According to Minister of National · &Jtortages of skills would then lead Health and. Population Development- to dramatic wage rises. . _ Dr Rina Venter, "We are doing what-- ::AS early as 1995, insurance giant ·· we can. The problem of Aids is that_it ·,. Old Mutual expects a decline iri busi- is not primarily- a medical problem..;,, ne8S confidence and a massive dive.r-·· · .. It. relates to social behaviour.- You-r -· · siog· of resources to medical care aDd ·. can't legisiate· against ~ua~ behaV:- · other welfare spending because of: ;-- iour." . ..·· · - · · , · · :: - AidS. · · . · .Mr Hamilton reports thaJ Dr
Mr Whiteside notes that the World . Venter has warned that if only' . ; - ~ has indicated that as the direct\::.. .- 0,55 percent of the population·~- ad:.' ' ' ,. cost of Aids is only 20 percent of ~ ~ .'' mitted to hospital With Aids, evety . . tru~ cost~ the cost to th~ ~onomy:;_,. available hospital bed in South Africa·-: CQU~d be. between R32 bllbo~ and: i would be filled, and the costs.~f ~t.-~. R78:billion in the year 2000. · · ~>~~ ·'!"" ~·> ment would equal the, C(]UD~-~~:~. , .. Two local studies reveal that _by- present health budget. · ;· ":_. ·)2~~::C.xl·i': , " April 1~, trr7Q~ do~tious ·to bl~ . According.· to Mr Hainilton:~politi~ transfus1on sery~ces m South _Afri~a cal unrest· and poor socio-economic ·· had tested pomtive for HIV, ~d. m condition! make it all the more diffi-:·,_ November 1990, some 10 ~ residents cult to persuade people to alter their ~oh~esburg were- believed to be~ . sexual behaviour. - Sapa. . · ·.,~£-:, :2!! mstbye, · = . 1retorla AtteridgeviUe 11/11/90 (04/02/91) \ .· ·- "~ -~ SauJsvme . 11/11/00 (Q4102/91} llctuncnd Ndalenl 04112/91 03103192 (08/00/92) PO ' Magoda 04/12/91 03/03192 (08/06/92) Box~23"• Esimozcrnenl 04/12/91 03103192 (08106/92) Braamfontein 2017 Paltlenl 04/12/91 03103192 (08/06/92) Johannesburg Woza.WoZs. 04/12/91 03103192 (08100192) South Africa Hlazuka 04/12/91 03/03192 (08/06/92) Phone: (011) 403-445011 Nmlr.nr . . . Ofle!Bl ID'OO'IE fOO'OO'Bin' Ekuptloleni . . 04/12/~1; 031031~ (08106/92) . Fax: 339·1422 1ietermaritzburg:> 1 58 townships . · oatOS/92 roa~Cl61i72> - , ·I ,;;,_ .. ' !., • ! PRESS SUMMARY . I .-: . ., :_.UNREST~EAs... · :. I ' ~ ... '-!! ~··· ! Qt! ~- ., . I AS AT.3Ro AUGUST-1992 . ;, ' ~ ' . . WEEKLY REPRESSION REPORT eater.Soweto: S0weto, ¥~dowlands, ~ie~kloof, D~Ue FROM Bl:l ~~'Je. S~eng ~iparcng, ~cptietcng, Ennerdale, ~vaton .. I . . .,_ ;__· , • .. 1 . . , . !Stl Rand: ~ekkersdal. Kaglso, Muns!eville, SWanievme \ 'P/.07/92 TO 28/07192 i ~ lo' '" ' . st IRand: . Kallehcng,. Tckoza, VOSioorus,. Oaveytcn. Waltville Thirty-two death$ aod ·more ~an '68 injuries were recorded during this period. The number of deaths are half that of last week's total of 64. However, the number of 1xandra. Injuries ~e far higher tban the ftgure of 45 ·recorded last week. -I . ,· TAl.:i2o . .. " ::~; : _) . Vigilante· Related ACtions account for 23 deaths and at least 31 injuries, with .. incidents reeorded 'in the ·PWV; Western Transvaal and Natal. . The death toll in the PWV dropped substantially from the 32 recorded last week to 13 ·r~ ~·~ ~- . ',· this wee!<- In this sub-region, ttiet Vaal area was relatiVely qui~ with 2 deaths and one • .... . injury- a substantialdecrease:frpin th~)9 deaths reeo~ded-last week. However, the ~:~} r- East Rand r.emained a;:fl~~p'O!nt wi:th ~ 0 p~aths S.Od atleaSI: 10 injuries recorded in ' .. t. . '~ the seven day period. . .• · · ., , · ., In Natal~ the death toll. remained. const~ • 10 cteaths were· recorded this week and 1 .. ·,, • '0 o • ,Po 7 last week. 1-Jowever, S of th~ deaths occurred in one. day in Folweni. . ,, '"?'" c, .. ' : ~· )... ·' - . . . :·: ,. . . ' ' . ·\J •' •., I The underlined csStes in brackets_denote dates when the Urtrest reslrictions were lifted. 'HUMAN RIGH'tS·COMMSSION 3 AUGUST 1992 . . I - "• -' .. .-. !PRESS sTATEMENT N0.-92/1.~ · ·• _,..... , MAGISTERIAL TOWNSHIPS DAlES DISTRICT -· PRESS STATEMENT IJo-- I•_ dWeto · : 24/08190 (17/11190) 11/0S/91 10/06191 09/09/91 08/12/91 07/03/92. 06106192 ON i Meadowlands 24/08/90 (lZL!Jm 11/03/91 10/06191 09/09/91 08/12/91 07/03/92 00/00/92 I ; Diepkloot : 24/rJSt90 (17/11/90) 11/~9110/00/91 09109/91 08/12/91 07/03192 06/06/92 · lHE CREEPING STATE OF EMERGENCY Rooclepoort. .. . • Dobsonville 24/08/90 (17[11/90)11/03/91 10/06/91 09109/91 08/12/91 07/00/92 06/00192 When the Public Safety Aa was amended in 1986 to permit the declaration of Unrest Areas Randburg Alexandra 24/09/9011/03/9110/06/90 (QlY08191) 14/08/91 (:12/11/91) 13103{92 I 12/06/92 in addilion to States of Eniergency, human rights monitors warned tNt the stage was being set to I BenOni Wattville 24/08/90 (31/10190) 2St07/92 I introduce powers of a State of Emergency without formally declaring one, at some futUre date. That I . ~ 1 Daveyton • 24/08/90 @!/10/90) ~07/92. ! prediction was realised in August 1990, when, after the four-year nationwide State of Emergency had Gerffiiston Kallehong 24/08/00 (31/1 0/90) 03112i90 (21/02/91) 1 0104/91 (05/07/91) 09/09/91 jL • I 00/12/91 rrl/03/~ 00106/92 . . been lifted in June that year, a number of townships in the PWV were declared Unr~ f\teas;· An ~non TOkn:rlil ?fl~ton (31!1Qtm> 'io.to•101 (Q£01/04) oo;OOJot ear~~a-1 &P.'M!IJJ: effeCtive partial State of Emergency began creeping in through the back door. Most of. the ~liar I~ .-L- · _061__061_92._·, ..,.,.__· -- ...... --~---:: K.empton Park. . I Tembisa.. 24/oa/90.(31/1Q/90) 11/03/91 '??_ (07/0§/Ql) Q9/09i91 OB/12/91?? power.; of repression, inclUding night-time Clll'fe\vs, retumed to the affected townships. Since thE!n, thete: . Springs . t KwaThema 24/00190 @!.lQ[@Qt naveoeenacout JttU unr~AJ~uttUa~t:KJ ua uitl r-vvv,1'lcucu tutu wu~t:r~uw~ &.un•.,;~•u~, r• .w:...... ~ Ni!j!_!·-· Di:lduZa •.· . I 24f::..OS!::::.:oo~. Va.r'lqerbiJipark -Sebo~eng these latter declaratiOns completed the stranglehold on 20 townships in the PWV in preparation 24/oSlsO S~Hf;J '!3(01/91 ifM02te1l12W~w nwOI'sn M'()!1(32 area =Viiii.UII ~iJtWIW . ,25,105190 ('®j:)1 13[00[92 ~2700/92 ... ·eophelong 24/08190 (17!111§9.U2/06/92 for the period mass action. of r. I· ·. BojpatOilg 24/08/90 (17/11(90) 12106/92 ·Ennerdale 13/03/92.12/06/92 ' A State of Emergency, to all intents and purposes, is naN in elfea in the area, with soOo pollee II Randfontein Mohlakeng : 24/08/90. (17(11 &9>,_;, i:lllll UUUIJO' UUIIIilli:ILIIIl:J U1~ \OWI'Itohipo>.lt j~ G0tCito of J::rnergonoy by Qtcolt.h and aoliiovoo mud'! the ' . ! . ~ . . ' ' ~. ,1 Westonaria Bekkersdal . 24'08190 (17l1:1LS!ll 03112/90 (21/W91l _11/05/91 (07/08/91) 21/07/92 I· seme purpose as an open decteration. It is equally to be condemned and rejected as a violation at l