Chairperson, the answer is: To achieve its mandate, since its restructuring, the SA National Aids Council has ensured the establishment of various operational level committees responsible for programme implementation. There are task teams that are focusing on prevention, treatment and care, support, research, monitoring, surveillance, human rights, access to justice and communication. All of these committees are multisectoral. They have met several times and they are embarking on implementation of ongoing programmes and, in some cases, new programmes.
The answer to the second part of the question is: To ensure that Sanac achieves its objectives, particularly with regard to creating and strengthening partnerships with community-based organisations, we are establishing an evaluation framework that is multisectoral through which we will be able to gauge the implementation of the strategic plan by the different partners.
This framework should be finalised by the end of the year. We have one more Sanac meeting before the end of the year where we will receive a report-back from the team that has been tasked to work on this. All Sanac members have been asked to provide information on their activities which they are already implementing and those that they are undertaking as a result of the adoption of the national strategic plan. Through that process we are able to see how we can support these activities, but even more important, we use this to share lessons that are learned by different partners during their implementation.
At a meeting on 10 September 2007, Sanac also received a presentation from the Department of Health on policy and strategy matters. Recommendations for policy direction were presented to the council, which included issues like the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, HIV-testing and, of course, clarity on the issue of male circumcision.
I must emphasise here that the issue is that we do not regard male circumcision as a form of preventing infection but we regard it as just a custom of rite of passage. Members must stick to the ABC. We also discussed the issue of human resources as well as sharing of financial resources.
There was also consensus in the meeting that these policy directions, even though they are not directly new, are in order. There were no contentious issues as far as I am concerned, however, we do have a credible process within Sanac that we can use in the event that there are disagreements.
I just want to emphasise to the members that the role of Sanac in relation to policy development is to advise government on HIV and Aids and sexually transmitted infections; to create and strengthen partnerships; to expand the national response to HIV and Aids in South Africa; to receive and disseminate information on sectoral interventions for HIV and Aids and consider new challenges; and to oversee continual monitoring and evaluation of all aspects of the national strategic plans.
Therefore, Sanac provides a platform through which we are able to forge consensus and also deal with differences on issues of policies. So, at this point there are no fundamental differences that we have not been able to tackle. This is not to say that we are succeeding in everything that we are doing. The task is big and we need to continue to be vigilant. I thank you.
SOSIWEBHU WEMKHANDLU WAVELONKE WETIFUNDZA: Mgcinisihlalo, ngibingelela bantfwabenkhosi labahleti lapha etulu, kanye nabomake nabobabe labasivakashele lababuya etindzaweni tetfu lapha eKapa. Ngibonga nakuSekela Mengameli - ngiyetsemba babe Mzizi uyeva, liSekela laMengameli hhayi Nggongqoshe - ngibonga imphendvulo lasinikete yona kutsi ngempela iyakhutsata futsi iyakhombisa kutsi umsebenti uchubekela embili, ikhona nemphumelelo kuletinhlelo temkhankhaso wekulwa nalolubhubhane lweNgculaza. Bengingatsandza kuva kutsi, njengobe umhlonishwa longangeliSekela laMengameli, kunguye lolihlahlandlela nelihambambili kulomkhankhaso, ngabe sitfombe sime njani lena etifundzeni?
Angawuchazela yini Lomkhandlu Wavelonkhe Wemaprovinsi lolapha, kuze sive kutsi ngutiphi tifundza letichuba kahle naletidvonsela emuva? Loku kungasisita natsi njengeMalunga ePhalamende kutsi sikwati kufaka sandla kuleti letibonakala shangatsi tidvonsela emuva. Ngiyabonga. (Translation of Siswati paragraphs follows.)
[The CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL: Chairperson, I want to greet the prince and princesses that are sitting up there on the gallery, as well as the mothers and fathers that are visiting us from our different places around the Cape. I also want to thank the Deputy President - I hope that Mr Mzizi is listening - the Deputy President and not the Minister. I thank her for the reply that she has given. It is really encouraging and it shows that there is progress in the work; there are also good results in the programmes to fight against the scourge of Aids. I would like to find out, since the hon the Deputy President is one of the pioneers and initiators of this project, what does the picture look like in the provinces?
Can she explain this to the NCOP today; this would help us to understand which of the provinces are progressive and which are not? It would also help us as MPs to be able to give a helping hand to those that are lagging behind. I thank you. ]
IPHINI LIKAMONGAMELI: Nami ngibingelela abantwana benkosi, omama nobaba. Ngithi angibazise ukuthi nathi siyakhuthazeka uma besivakashela. Izifundazwe ziqhuba kahle ikakhulukazi iNtshona Koloni enabantu abancane abagulayo. Isifundazwe esinenkinga enkulu iKwaZulu-Natali. Ezinye izifundazwe-ke zona ziphakathi nendawo. Lapho kunenhlupheko khona enkulu, isifo sengculazi siningi ngoba siyazi ukuthi sihambisana nendlala. Isimo simi kanjanalo-ke lapha ezifundazweni. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I would like to greet the royal family, ladies and gentlemen. I want to tell them that their visit is an inspiration. Provinces are doing well, especially the Western Cape which has fewer sick people. The problematic province is KwaZulu-Natal. Other provinces are moderate. Where there is more poverty, Aids is prevalent because we know that this disease is associated with hunger. That is the situation in provinces.]