Bono pays a surprise visit
2003-12-01 17:13
Cape Town - U2 lead singer Bono made a surprise appearance at a sparsely-attended Aids Day rally organised by the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and Cosatu in the Cape Town city hall, and told HIV-positive people they were "the real heroes".
He said members of the TAC were not only leaders on the issue of HIV/Aids, but that the struggle against the disease gave clues on how everyone could work together in future "on the project of the new South Africa".
"I'm completely overwhelmed by the work TAC does," he said.
"I want you to know we live in an age of celebrity, where if you're an actor, or a rock star, or a hip-hop star, you're supposed to be, you know, some kind of hero.
"Well, really that's bollocks. Real heroes are mothers, firemen, nurses (and) people with HIV who are struggling against all odds.
"And I would say myself and Edge are humbled to be in the company of real heroes."
The Edge is U2's lead guitarist, who was with Bono. The two men came to South Africa for the 46664 Aids concert, held under former president Nelson Mandela's patronage in Cape town at the weekend.
Bono said there was a chance that South Africa could lead the way in HIV/Aids treatment not just in Africa, but in the world.
"I pray you strength for your struggle, and I just want to say that you will prevail. You have history and God on your side."
Stigma against condoms
Speaking at the same rally, TAC chair Zackie Achmat said one of TAC activists' big jobs next year would be to make sure people understood the philosophy of prevention in the sense of doing harm neither to themselves nor to others.
"If some one wants to have ten girlfriends, that's his business - as long as he uses a condom. If someone has only one girlfriend, that's his business - as long as he uses a condom.
"If he doesn't use a condom, he's causing harm to himself, and he's causing harm to his girlfriends."
Achmat said the biggest stigma in South Africa was not only against people living with HIV, but against condoms.
The only places where condoms were freely available were in clinics and toilets.
"We need to make sure that every mosque, every church, every school has condoms. And TAC people here have to lead that campaign. If your schools don't have condoms, it's your responsibility. Condoms will never get into schools unless you march."
- SAPA