HIV survivor calls on society and members of the community to do away with stigmatisation and discrimination

HIV/Aids activist and community builder, Nonhlanhla Msimanga said stigmatisation and discrimination of people living with HIV remains a big challenge in society.

Speaking at the World Aids Day commemoration event that was held at Witkoppen Clinic, Msimanga said many people died from Aids because they didn’t have support from those around them.

“I was diagnosed with HIV 23 years ago after I was gang raped. My journey of living with the disease that was regarded as a death sentence back then was not an easy one. My son suffered discrimination from teachers at the school because his mother was HIV positive although he was negative.”

Msimanga said the support she received from caring and professional staff members at Witkoppen Clinic helped her to live and overcome the sickness. “Our community members have contributed to the death of many people who were not supposed to die. The discrimination and negative treatment they received from those who were supposed to give them support actually pushed them toward death. I was fortunate to have a health facility like Witkoppen Clinic where I was treated with respect.”

She told those who are living with HIV to remain positive and refuse to die because of the bad treatment they receive from society. “I told myself that I wasn’t going to die of Aids because I believed that God has given me a task to motivate others. I call on those taking their ARVs [antiretrovirals] not to default because that might have an unpleasant outcome in their lives.”