Durban — South Africa will on Monday join the rest of the world in commemorating World Aids Day.

Deputy President and head of the South African National Aids Council, Baleka Mbete will lead the celebrations at the main event at Sahara Stadium on Monday.

Minister of Health Barbara Hogan, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sibusiso Ndebele, King Goodwill Zwelithini and the Executive Director of the United Nations on AIDS Dr Peter Piot will be among those who will join her.

World AIDS Day has been held every year since 1988 when health ministers from around the world agreed to dedicate a day in the year to come together to highlight the importance of tackling AIDS and to show solidarity for the cause.

The commemoration of World AIDS Day will be a culmination of a myriad of HIV and AIDS awareness campaigns already underway.

Faith-based organisations will take the lead in the formation of a human chain on Sunday in Durban, where they will also supply messages that declare a war against HIV and AIDS. This will take the form of a procession of people around the city hall.

Prior to the event at Sahara Stadium, the Premier, Minister of Health, MECs and Mayors will participate in door-to-door visits at Cato Crest in Durban, where they will meet families and assess the challenges residents are facing.

On Monday all stakeholders have been invited to participate in sewing together pieces of red material containing messages to form the longest ever red ribbon, which will be entered into the Guinness Book of World Records.

The red ribbon is a symbol for AIDS awareness.

South Africa is intending to snatch the record that has been held by Canada for years.

At the main event in Durban, various government services will be provided at Sahara Stadium including social grant applications and processing, birth certificates and ID registrations, health screening services and the provision of relevant information to citizens.

In a separate event, the Department of Defence will hold a fun walk in Thaba Tshwane. The Deputy Minister of Defence, Mr Fezile Bhengu, and the Surgeon General, Lieutenant General Vijay Ramlakan will undertake the walk with about 500 other participants.

All department units from the Thaba Tshwane area will participate in the walk. The fun walk participants will set off from the Thaba Tshwane town hall, before walking to the sports fields at the Military Health Training Formation.

The fun walk serves as a platform for all members of the department to show solidarity with the worldwide fight against HIV and AIDS.

The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and the 46664 AIDS Awareness Campaign will also be taking to the street to mark the day.

The Chief Executive Officer of the HSRC, Olive Shisana said this year the organisation would like to shift the attention from "them" to "us" and to encourage all to get tested for HIV.

"Different teams will be distributing red ribbons and flyers, outlining prevention information and encouraging people to take responsibility of knowing their HIV status by getting tested in specific public spaces in Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria, Mthatha, Port Elizabeth and Pietermaritzburg," she said.