Earlier this year South Africa President Jacob Zuma did not use a condom when having sex with the daughter of a family friend, who subsequently gave birth to his 20th child. Illustration: Zapiro
President Jacob Zuma, while being tried on charges of raping an HIV-positive family friend in 2006, was ridiculed for testifying he took a shower after sex to lower the risk. He was acquitted of rape.
Earlier this year he again did not use a condom when having sex with the daughter of a family friend, who subsequently gave birth to his 20th child.
Critics accuse South Africa’s leadership of undermining the fight with denialism and hypocrisy. Former president Thabo Mbeki’s unwillingness to act has been blamed for the premature deaths of 300,000 people.
An estimated 5.7 million South Africans are living with HIV, about one in every five adults. There are about 1,400 new HIV infections and nearly 1,000 Aids deaths every day. Television adverts ask viewers to “imagine the possibility of an HIV-free generation” by being cautious. But condom use is still far from a social norm.
For this, Britain is to give 42m condoms to South Africa in response to a request for an extra billion as part of an HIV prevention drive before the World Cup in June this year.
The request for British help in stockpiling sufficient condoms for the expected influx of thousands of football supporters in three months’ time was made during President Jacob Zuma’s recent visit to the UK to meet the Queen.
South Africa is embroiled in a struggle to combat the world’s biggest HIV caseload and to convince its population of the importance of safe sex.
The South African health minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, expressed concern that the message was being ignored because people believe HIV can now be easily treated.
“President [Jacob] Zuma made two far-reaching statements on World Aids Day,” Motsoaledi said. “He made a strong statement about prevention and a strong statement about treatment regimes, but after World Aids Day South Africans were only talking about the one.
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