Comments on: The deep roots of Aids denialism

By: Nimzowitsch

Nimzowitsch — Mon, 26 May 2008 03:16:23 +0000

Take a look at my take on the whole issue at my blog.

By: Serame Mokgakala

Serame Mokgakala — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:26:23 +0000

Your blog raises issues that, as you rightly point out, the chaterring classes ignore to the detriment of of our country. Is there no one who can challenge President Mbeki to rise up to the task of saving our nation from the Three Letter Plague?

By: cool down.

cool down. — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 21:23:29 +0000

Stats RSA puts the HIV-prevalence at approximately
11% 0r 5.3m people out of a population of
approximately 47.9m. (mid 2007 estimates).The
female population is estimated at 24.3m or 51%.

If the figure of 5.3m does not raise alarm bells
with our President and government nothing will.

By: Liansky

Liansky — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 10:59:25 +0000

Dude, do you have a thing for Mbeki or something. You’re more like a jilted lover than a relevant commentator.

Long live my President, Thabo Mbeki. Long live the African Revolution.

By: Khadija Sharife

Khadija Sharife — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 07:27:47 +0000

I’m not so sure that ‘rural’ people care about either Mbeki’s or Manto’s opinion…The everyday people on the bus etc going to and from areas like West Street, South Beach etc that I’ve conversed with, laugh the question off, click their tongues and generally dismiss the issue.

Aids is an issue bigger than the President, although he could have clarified many issues promptly..sometimes clarification difference between life and death. But in dis case, tradition (relating to silence around stigmas) is much bigger than either of them, and could it be that Mbeki is in fact a product of this same tradition???

By: Lyndall Beddy

Lyndall Beddy — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 02:13:17 +0000

James

Mbeki said “I know no-one who has died of Aids”

What were the people supposed to think they were dying of?

By: abduraghiem Johnstone

abduraghiem Johnstone — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 13:51:40 +0000

Pierre,
Thanx for some interesting info.
We are once again reminded of a much bigger picture, South Africas rural landscape.

Amanda is nog steeds jou tjommie.

By: James

James — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 13:04:57 +0000

Amanda
Please get me right here. I refuse a view which paint black poor African people as either supporting or not supporting ‘Mbeki and Manto’s view’. Pierre states clearly that he does not mingle with black poor Africans, yet out of reading the book he celebrates (by Steinberg) has come to a conclusion that few black African people are not saying anything about HIV and AIDs ‘denialism’. I am not going to support or reject this view which seems odd and ‘sweeping’ to me. I am asking Pierre to support it by corresponding evidence than just referring to one book. He needs to show us stats and other credible evidence, respect us as his readers and show us why should we trust such a conclusion. How else does Pierre expect us to measure these views which support spurios ‘denialism’ allegedly held by the elite (Mbeki and Tshabalala).
For instance, how do you measure that majority white South African youth support racism by simply watching a UFS video of three young white men who cannot even coherently explain what they were doing. As for the economists reviews- they, I understand, delineate clearly between the book author’s view to those held by the reviewer. In the case of Pierre’s article, he has perhaps made the views of the author his own as well, to support his ‘white middle class boytjie’ prejudices he might hold, or not, about poor African people he hardly, if ever, associates with to hear their views ((no offence to Pierre). That is why I challenge such mere acceptance of Steinberg’s views by Pierre. He must think clearly before accepting such profound conclusions that say black poor African people are not saying anything about aids and they do not challenge Manto and Mbeki. What indicators will he use to show that they are or are not supporting Mbeki and Manto, i.e. by writing an article for Thought Leadership, by marching and demanding ARVs. HOw will he count that they are a majority or a minority… Eish, perhaps I am losing you…..let me leave it here.

By: amused reader

amused reader — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:42:10 +0000

I enjoyed reading this article, thanks

I think that the taboo surrounding Aids is a massive problem in SA, not just surrounding ARV’s, but also sexual behavior, culture, legal protection and the ultimate remedy.

I think both mbeki and manto are an absolute disgrace but there are a number of issues surrounding ARV.s. Most notably, if you do not change sexual behavioral patterns, but extend the life of sexually active HIV carriers through the administering of ARV’s you will increase infection rates and make the Aids epidemic worse.

Before people leap on me from a height i am not suggesting that we do not administer arv’s, but i do suggest that there must be some rules around on-going sexual behavior.

I think we need a massive information campaign similar to those waged in Europe when aids first came to light, and which are responsible for the success in limiting the epidemic over there.

We also need to change the legal rights. There is far too much protection for the HIV+ person, and nowhere near enough for the person they may next infect. We need laws that insist upon testing, informing partners of your HIV status, use of condoms if you are HIV+, and a charges of assault, manslaughter or murder when someone who is HIV+ knowingly puts someone who is not HIV+ at risk.

Nothing else will solve the problem. By the time we administer arv’s it is already too late, we are just into damage limitation.

By: Colin

Colin — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 08:14:28 +0000

Let me preface by saying tha more I get to know blacks, the more I realise that, like any other demographic marker, they differ from one another (as do whites, Catholics, Indians, gays, Coloureds, Greeks, men, doctors, teenagers et al) and one must avoid falling into the generalisation trap.

However, there does seem to be a difference between various cultures about maintaining “face”, “honour” or “dignity”. To me it seems that blacks are more closely aligned to the Japanese or Arab mentality on this (though where does the British “stiff upper lip” fit in?), whereas, say, the USA & white SAfrican seems more pragmatic or, if you prefer, unconscious or insensitive.

Apart from AIDS, I hear that many township parents keep their kids suffering from albinism or intellectual disabilities “in the closet”. To the other extreme, I understand that the Native Americans (red indians, to us) regard these kids as god-sent and an expert can identify many of the faces in their totem poles as those of kids with these birth defects. In Sparta, of course, such kids were, ahem, “exposed”.

Talking of birth defects, the deafening silence on Feotal Alhocol Syndrome (speak to any educator or social worker) will bite us, IMHO, worse than AIDS.
For anyone depressed by the scenario, I recommend “My Left Foot” or “The Rainman” as inspiring movies about what can be done.

Of course, when Black Pride transmutes into black arrogance as it has in the other 3-letter acronym [ANC], the disease is lethal.