Volunteer honoured at Aids Memorial Day

THE Durban University of Technology, DUT HIV/AIDS Centre in partnership with the Aids Foundation of SA, AFSA invite the community to an International Aids Candle Light Memorial Day aptly themed, Let’s keep the light on HIV, on Friday, 16 May at noon at the Steve Biko campus.

AFSA’s Roland Vilane said DUT will dedicate the International Candle Light Memorial Day to the late Jan “Mkhulu” de Groot, a volunteer who joined AFSA in 1994 after learning of his positive HIV status. DUT strongly believes in the role played by Jan “Mkhulu” during his life time as an AIDS activist and would like his legacy to be remembered.

Vilane said “Mkhulu” was a friend, colleague and grandfather of the AIDS Foundation and passed away peacefully in February this year. “Mkhulu became a permanent employee working in the Finance and Administration Department and was a remarkable and inspirational man who served as an example to all those who knew him.”

According to Vilane, Mkhulu’s mental fortitude and positive attitude enabled him to face and overcome many challenges. Some interesting challenges included being held prisoner in a Japanese war camp for four years in Indonesia while a teenager, he also climbed the highest mountain in the Andes at the age of 63, swam the Midmar Mile at the age of 75, joined his comrades in the streets protesting against AIDS denialism and demanding universal access to treatment.

“He lost his leg at the age of 85 and learnt to walk again with the aid of crutches and a prosthetic limb, and continued working at AFSA until the age of 88. He was truly an amazing man who experienced and achieved so much during his lifetime. We thank DUT for honouring Mkhulu,” Vilane added.