Nkosinathi Nkabinde
The City of Johannesburg commemorated World Aids Day on Sunday, 1 December 2024, at Patterson Multipurpose Centre in Region E. The event focused on raising awareness about HIV and its wide-ranging social, health, and economic impacts.
Under the theme “Take the Right Path: My Health, My Right”, the commemoration emphasised health rights and the vision of a future free from HIV and Aids.
Dignitaries included Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, Executive Mayor Councillor Dada Morero, Speaker of the Council Councillor Nobuhle Mthembu, and MMC for Health and Social Development Councillor Ennie Makhafola. Civil society representatives and youth sector leaders also joined the event.
A youth-led segment titled “Zikhala Kanjani” addressed social behaviours, youth mobilisation, and access to quality health services. Inspired by South Africa’s National Youth HIV Prevention Strategy (2022–2025), the initiative focused on reducing new infections through expanded prevention tools tailored for diverse groups.
The highlight of the day was the launch of the Johannesburg Aids Council (JAC), a collaborative platform designed to combat HIV, tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted infections. Chaired by Mayor Morero, the council includes representatives from civil society, labour, youth, business, tertiary institutions, and faith-based organisations.
“The JAC will strengthen HIV diagnosis, enhance treatment adherence, and promote viral suppression,” said MMC Makhafola.
Lebowa Malaka, a representative of the South African National Aids Council, highlighted local government’s critical role in HIV prevention and treatment, urging an intensified focus on prevention.
Mayor Morero called for strengthened partnerships with civil society and educational institutions, advocating for HIV awareness to be integrated into community and city programmes.
MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko commended civil society’s efforts in combating stigma and empowering communities but stressed that young people remain disproportionately affected by the epidemic.
The event reinforced the City of Johannesburg’s commitment to tackling the challenges of HIV and Aids while working towards a stigma-free and HIV-free generation by 2030.
