'Let us call a spade a spade'

2004-06-18 11:01

Windhoek - The contest to determine who would succeed Namibian president Sam Nujoma as head of the ruling South West African People's Organisation (Swapo) was eagerly watched in the country and the Southern African region.

Lukas Hifikepunye Pohamba has ultimately emerged to take over the reins from Nujoma, who is constitutionally barred from running for another term in office. General elections will take place in Namibia towards the end of the year.

Given Swapo's commanding position in the country's political landscape, close scrutiny is already being given to Pohamba's views on a range of issues - not least Namibia's 22% HIV prevalence rate.

"HIV/Aids is a very, very big problem in our country because I see it reducing our population," Pohamba said.

"Days like Saturdays and Sundays, which were originally reserved for resting, are now days for burials. There is no Namibian family that has not lost a loved one to Aids or Aids-related illnesses."

Namibia is one of the five countries is the world most affected by the pandemic.

According to the National Aids Coordination Programme (Nacop), 150 000 people are currently in need of ARVs (this out of a population of 1.8 million).

Government announced earlier this year that it would set aside just over R6.5m a year to buy ARVs. Most of this assistance is going to Caprivi, the north-eastern region with the highest HIV infection rate in Namibia. Caprivi is vulnerable because it serves as a transit point for people from Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana - all of which are fighting to contain Aids.

Aids activist Joan Gurirab - the wife of Prime Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab - noted that people living with Aids risk getting fired and evicted, while HIV-positive children could find themselves being denied day care.

"Families have broken up because one of the spouses has HIV - a husband generally leaves his wife once she is known to be infected with the disease," said Gurirab, adding "The stigma attached to HIV/Aids may extend into the next generation, placing an emotional burden on children who are trying to cope with the death of their family members."

Pohamba said it was important for Namibians to start talking openly about HIV in order to destroy the stigma associated with Aids, and halt the spread of the disease.

"We must call a spade a spade, and even state clearly in the death certificate that the person died of Aids or an Aids-related illness -instead of writing that he or she died of pneumonia or tuberculosis," he noted.

But, is Pohamba prepared to put his money where his mouth is? While he commended the governor of the southern Karas region, Stephanus Goliath, for publicly taking an Aids test recently, Swapo's new leader has yet to do so himself.

Asked why, Pohamba said, "If what I have been told by the doctors as being the cause of HIV/Aids is correct, than I would say I don't have it because I don't go around to pick up the HIV." - Sapa-IPS

- SAPA