The Defence Minister, Mosiuoa Lekota, yesterday announced that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) "will no longer accept HIV positive people into its ranks" (The Star, 8 October 2003.)

The South African Council of Churches believes it regrettable for a government department, a custodian of the country's constitution, to so blatantly discriminate against its own people because of their health condition. It is unfortunate that such a stance is taken at a time when the world is crying out for more compassionate conditions for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA).

It is immoral to consider a person living with HIV/AIDS as unfit for service within the Defence Force. Surely the SANDF will not apply the same criteria for people suffering from Tuberculosis. In the same way that untreated TB is fatal for one's health, treatment for HIV can prolong the life of individuals.

Attitudes like this fuel stigmatisation and perpetuate discrimination. When activists the world over are calling for openness and acceptance, the SANDF opts for a position that gives more reason for people not to declare their status.

We call on Minister Lekota and the SANDF to seriously rethink their position. As the exclusion of PLWA from the Defence Force appears to be based on concerns about their fitness for combat, we urge the SANDF to find alternative ways of utilising the much needed skills of PLWA.

We will seek an audience with the Minister to discuss the matter further.

Issued on behalf of the SACC by
Fr Gary Thompson
Director: HIV/AIDS Programme
Contact: 011 241 7812 / 072 415 7758