Dwarsrivier Chrome Mine (DCM), in partnership with Thaba Chweu Local Municipality, Ehlanzeni District Municipality and the Mpumalanga health department, hosted a World Aids Day commemoration at the Mashishing Community Hall on December 12, under the theme ‘Equal Rights, Equal Care’.

This event was aimed at ending discrimination against people infected by HIV/Aids. It also helped infected people to access health services, by bringing testing stations closer for their convenience and encouraging them to know their statuses.

The purpose of the collaborated event was also to create awareness and foster collaboration to support the HIV/Aids-affected and -infected communities within the Thaba Chweu Local Municipality.

The event was graced by the presence of Cllr Mogotle Friddah Nkadimeng, the executive mayor of Thaba Chweu Local Municipality, who gave her welcoming remarks and emphasised that infected people must be supported and accepted in local communities.

“Despite the awareness campaigns and education around HIV/Aids in the past years, infected people are still not acknowledged due to the stigma and discrimination around them,” she said.

Cllr Terra Shabangu, the executive mayor of the Ehlanzeni District Municipality, commended the partners for a well-organised and purpose-serving event. He said it is a step to achieving the World Health Organisation’s target of ending HIV/Aids by 2030.

Representing the DCM was the socio-economic development manager, Remember Mmbengwa, who highlighted the mine’s commitment to assist the people of Mashishing with infrastructural developments, which will aid in job creation.

He reiterated the DCM’s willingness to partner with local municipalities to better their healthcare service delivery to the locals, including himself as a resident of the area.

He further encouraged the local municipality and the Mpumalanga health department to extend invitations to the mines when they have events that deal with community health related issues or concerns, as the mine have programmes that support such.

Sarah Maphethu, an HIV/Aids ambassador and activist, spoke about her experience of living with the HIV virus for more than 20 years. She highlighted the importance of getting tested and taking the related prescribed medication. Maphethu indicated that HIV/Aids is not a death sentence.

The event was concluded with a moment of silence and a candle lighting ceremony in remembrance of those who have died from HIV/Aids-related illnesses.

World Aids Day is observed annually from December 1. It serves as a reminder of the global effort to end HIV-related stigma. It is an opportunity to honour those we have lost and a call to commit to working towards a future where HIV is no longer a public health threat.

At the end of the programme, community members were encouraged to do several tests, including for HIV/Aids, and were given gifts (a water bottle, cap and food) as a token of appreciation.