BuaNews (Tshwane)
Gabi Khumalo
1 December 2008
Pretoria — South Africans will observe a moment of silence and church bells will sound at noon today, World AIDS Day, to recommit to fighting HIV and AIDS and remember those who have died of the disease.
The Deputy President and head of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), Baleka Mbete, Health Minister Barbara Hogan, the Executive Director of the United Nations on AIDS Dr Peter Piot and a well known person living with HIV will lead the moments silence at the Durban's Sahara stadium.
SANAC has called the nation to stop everything at noon on World AIDS Day and take a moment to talk about preventing the spread of the HIV and Tuberculosis (TB).
"Join us on this day, don't wait to be asked. Talk to your family, workplace, school or organisation about what you are going to do. Spread the word to act now," SANAC said in a statement.
Church bells will ring at all Anglican and other churches in Cape Town and other centres and a call for special services; a special sermon will be held at all mosques with a special message to all Muslim schools and businesses; a fifteen minute break at all Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration hearings nationwide will be held and there will be a minute's silence in all banks through the Banking Association of South Africa.
The call has also come from leaders in government, business, unions and churches to take part in the series of events taking place on across South Africa to launch a new united campaign to prevent new HIV infections and stop deaths linked to HIV and TB.
SABC radio stations which boast over 3.2 million listeners will also observe the one minute of silence, some radio DJs test for HIV live on air and others discuss HIV and TB.
A message is also expected from former President Nelson Mandela through his organisation 46664 and the phone service MXit will send a message to its five million mainly teenage users.
The Department of Defence also lead an AIDS awareness march to Thaba Tshwane this morning in Pretoria.
Others participating in World AIDS Day events include a South Africa's cricketers, who will be wearing a red ribbon in the test match with Bangladesh and visit by United Kingdom development Minister Ivan Lewis. Other events include a statement by United Nations High Commissioner, Judge Navi Pillay, a week-long community mobilisation by SANAC in three districts in KwaZulu-Natal and the Department of Health's media arm Khomanani supported by SANAC and the National Economic Development and Labour Advisory Council is putting out media to reach 29 million people.
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