Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will, in his capacity as Chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), address the World Aids Day national commemoration event at the Walter Sisulu University Stadium, Mthatha, Eastern Cape.
 
South Africa will observe World AIDS Day 2017 under the theme, “It is my right to know my status. Prevention is my responsibility”. The theme encourages South Africans to make their actions count and to take personal and collective responsibility to prevent new HIV and TB infections. 
 
In a recorded message ahead of World Aids Day, Deputy President Ramaphosa said: “This is a time to remember those that we have lost to the twin epidemics of AIDS and Tuberculosis. It is also a time to reflect on the extraordinary progress that we’ve made as a nation in the fight against AIDS and TB. It is also a time when we recommit ourselves to the achievement of an AIDS-free generation”.
 
As part of the World AIDS Day activities, Deputy President Ramaphosa will engage in a dialogue session with traditional leaders at The Great Palace, Bhumbane, Mthatha.
 
World AIDS Day is commemorated internationally each year on 1 December and is an opportunity for everyone to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support to those infected and affected and to remember those who passed on from diseases associated with HIV.
 

Enquiries: Tyrone Seale on 083 575 7440

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria