Deputy Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the Council -
1) notes the launch of a rural counselling and testing campaign by the Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, in the village of Mafefe in Limpopo to encourage rural communities to test for HIV and Aids;
2) further notes that the campaign, which is done in partnership with traditional leaders, is part of the department's aim to have 15 million South Africans tested for the disease this year alone and that since April up to 12 million South Africans have been tested, and government has actually exceeded the initial target of 2 000;
3) further notes that the traditional leaders vowed to ensure that villagers get tested in their numbers and appealed to those who advocate that circumcision is part of the prevention strategy to condomise, to ensure that those who are negative stay negative and sustain their healthy status; and 4) takes this opportunity to welcome this initiative aimed at reaching rural communities and establishing the real statistics related to HIV and Aids infections in order to better respond and prevent any new infections in line with the United Nations resolutions to fight this pandemic.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.