Criselda declines appointment to Aids council

Embattled Metro FM host Criselda Kananda-Dudumashe has declined her nomination to serve as a board member of the South African National Aids Council (Sanac).

This follows outrage over her comments where she defended former deputy minister of higher education and training Muduzi Manana.

He is accused of assaulting women at a night club after they allegedly called him “gay” earlier this month.

“I know a Mdu who has dedicated his life to developing those who are on the margins through his drive and passion for youth development. I remember conversations where he would say, ‘young people should be prepared at an early age for the role to lead society for their own future prospects,” she said on her social media post.

Kananda-Dudumashe also made controversial comments about transgender people at a gathering in University of Venda recently.

She allegedly told students to stand up even if “you are a ‘she’ man…as long as you’ve got a dick between your legs you are a man…”

On Tuesday the Democratic Alliance (DA) written a letter to Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to request that Kananda-Dudumashe nomination to the board of the Sanac also referred to as the South African National Aids Trust (Sanat) be set aside.

On Wednesday, she released a statement and confirmed that she was nominated to serve as a board member but has since declined.

“I accept the criticism and recognise that my statements have caused harm for which I am deeply sorry. I have noted objections by organisations like the Treatment Action Campaign to my nomination to serve in the board of the SA National Aids Trust (Sanat). These objections are based on my regrettable statements that I believe will constitute conflict of interest if I serve on Sanat.

“As a public advocate to campaigns for the rights of people living with HIV and believing in the significant gains made by the multi-sectorial approach for the fight against the AIDS epidemic, I have taken the decision to decline nomination to serve in Sanat,” she said.

Kanadna-Dudumashe said she has communicated her decision with Ramaphosa, who serves as the chairperson of the council.

“Hopefully, this decision will remove all the controversy surrounding my nomination and allow Sanat to get on with the work it meant to do. I will work to regain public trust and reassure my employer that courses are noble and at no stage will I use the platforms I am afforded to make statements that are polarizing,”

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