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Mandla Mandela, whose father Makgatho Mandela had Aids and died in 2005, says the country has made great strides in dealing with the HIV/Aids pandemic but a lot still needed to be done.
The Mvezo chief praised the government and all nongovernmental organisations that were working hard to curb the pandemic but said that society needed to play a much bigger role to deal with what he called an “inter-generational challenge”. He encouraged people to get tested so they knew their status and could protect others.
Mandla, the eldest grandson of late former president Nelson Mandela, released the statement today to mark World Aids Day.
“Aids robbed me of my father Makgatho Lewanika Mandela, who died in the prime of his life aged 54. However, Madiba showed us what leadership truly means and in his moment of grief and bereavement stood tall and courageous and debunked the stigma then attached to Aids,” he said.
During Makgatho’s funeral in Qunu, Eastern Cape, Madiba took many by surprise when he openly told mourners: “My son has died of Aids.”
Makgatho, a lawyer just like his famous father, was the second son of Madiba and his first wife Evelyn Mase.
Mandla said when Madiba openly talked about his son having died of Aids, it enabled countless others to deal with Aids like “any other disease or illness”.
The ANC MP said a change of attitude was needed in order to deal with the pandemic effectively.
“We must ensure that we encourage and advocate a culture change that ensures that young and not so young people revert to our traditional cultural values that encourages delayed sexual gratification until marriage, safe sex, taking responsibility and providing support to those affected and infected by HIV/Aids.
“It is only through taking responsibility for our actions, individually and as a collective, that we shall be able to overcome the scourge,” he said.
The chief said the stigmatisation associated with the pandemic meant that many people suffered in silence and that the same energy that was used to fight and defeat apartheid was needed to fight HIV/Aids.
