Chair of Council, Mr Brian Williams, and Members of Council; Vice Chancellor, Professor Brian O’Connell, and all other staff, students, alumni and members of the wider UWC family; honoured guests; ladies and gentlemen; it is a great honour to find myself being inaugurated as Chancellor of this distinguished university.  Thank you.

I am deeply humbled by this privilege you have bestowed upon me, and I fully commit myself to uphold the responsibilities of this office, to the best of my ability.  Knowing my predecessor well, I am quite sure that my feet are many sizes bigger than his; but nonetheless I am also certain that he has left me with the challenge of a very large pair of shoes to fill!

As I look back, almost my whole life has been bound up with education, in one form or another.  After schooling, first in Alexandra then at Orlando High, came Wits university.  Soon after graduating with my bachelors’ degree, I also completed theological studies for ordination in the Anglican Church, with time in Grahamstown.  I then returned to Wits for honours, followed by a Masters of Education.  I lectured part time at Wits, and was also Dean of Knockando, at Wits College of Education (formerly Johannesburg College of Education).  And as if all that were not enough, I went on to pursue a doctorate, graduating in 2009 from the University of Cape Town.  You might say that I am something of a perpetual student at heart, though teaching has also always been a great joy to me, whether in the corridors of learning or through the channels of the church.

Despite this long connection with studying and teaching, the privilege of becoming the Chancellor of UWC prompted me to revisit two key questions.  First, what actually is the task of education?  And what, in light of our answer, is the true vocation of a university within South Africa, in the unfolding years of the twenty-first century? 

The simplistic response might be that the role of a university is to pursue and disseminate learning.  But this begs the question of what constitutes learning.  It is of course far more than the accumulation and communication of information: facts and figures, opinions and arguments, practices and procedures.  For theory cannot be abstracted from the human contexts of surrounding societies and the wider world.  As we well know, from quantum physics to the writing of history, there is no wholly neutral place from which to view our world, and no completely objective way of speaking about what we think we know; and nor can there be.  One corollary of this is that there is equally no morally or ethically neutral way of pursuing or sharing learning.  Both are always inextricably linked to the world around:  the world in which we live; the world from which our students come, and to which they return. 

Education must fit us for engagement with such a world.  What we need then, is beyond mere knowledge – understanding, perhaps.  But the word which resonates best for me is ‘wisdom’.  From the hikmat of the Old Testament, to the sophia of ancient Greeks and the New Testament, this is a concept with a long and honourable pedigree.  It calls us to ‘realised knowledge’, to ‘practical understanding’ (such as that of the skilled craftsman or woman), to shrewd discernment of situations and how to handle them.  Wisdom is what enables human beings to be competent and skilled in engaging well with life, and in playing a constructive role in wider society.  It is what enables us to be – so to speak – part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Of course, wisdom in Christian tradition is inescapably bound up with living according to God’s purposes for humanity – purposes which we believe are designed by an infinitely loving creator entirely for our well-being; in other words, for the flourishing of individuals within flourishing societies. This aligns closely with the concept, shared in many faiths and philosophies, of the moral life being directed towards the common good of all members of society.  Yet even if one abstracts the concept from any specifically religious or philosophical context, it still retains an unavoidable ethical component.  One cannot be wise and simultaneously pursue an immoral life – not merely in the personal sphere, but in any other walk of life. 

And this is why for me, moral leadership and education must go hand in hand.  Our task is both to provide moral leadership, and to help form the moral leaders, which our country, our continent, so desperately need. 

For wisdom directs us to seek a world of justice and fairness for all, which moves towards overcoming inequalities – whether the legacies of the past, or the growing economic disparities of more recent years, to name but two – and strives to promote conditions in which all may have the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

Within South Africa we are blessed with a Constitution that provides a clear picture of such a society.  Its preamble describes a united, democratic, nation, with overarching goals that include healing the divisions of the past; establishing a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights, and which improves the quality of life of all citizens and frees the potential of each person.

This is the yardstick against which we must measure progress, success, morality.  This is the vision to which we must commit ourselves, and which we can only achieve through strong ethical leadership that draws energy from the promises of the Constitution, and captures the hope that gave this nation birth.  This is in many ways a deeply spiritual undertaking.  We are speaking of the nurturing of the soul of our nation. 

The choice for education – particularly tertiary education – is actually quite stark.  Do we position all we say and do within such a context, committed to such goals, putting our weight behind the pursuit of such a vision – or do we not?  Do we sit by while corruption grows, nepotism flourishes, freedom diminishes, and inequality deepens; and be happily, heedlessly, complicit while narrow self-interest, callous selfishness, and the pursuit of personal gain, of power, status, and material wealth, regardless of the consequences for other people or our planet, become the norm?  Do we turn a blind eye as cutting corners, dropping standards, sharp practices, become the order of the day?

Now, the University of the Western Cape has come a very long way since it started life as a so-called ‘bush college’, over half a century ago.  The radical changes UWC has experienced through these decades mirror those our nation has undergone.  Indeed, this place has had leaders, and produced leaders, who have been at the forefront in driving the best of these changes.  Today, I am proud that we are one of the most diverse universities in South Africa – and this without compromising standards of excellence or quality of education.  We have an international reputation, particularly for the research and development of open-source software solutions and open educational resources.  Our historic commitment to genuine transformation, and to upliftment of all, has gone without saying.   

 Yet the situation we face demands that we relax neither our vigilance nor our commitment, for it is not at all clear that our country as a whole remains safely on the path to achieving the vision for which so many struggled, and for which so many gave their lives.  It is all too evident that economic disparities remain vast, and are even growing.  The situation in education is little better, for all that the headline statistics trumpet great increases in matric pass-rates.  For beneath these figures lies the sad story that a good half of those who entered school in 2000 failed even to write matric.  And what can a pass truly mean, when it is sufficient to achieve a mere 40% or even 30%? 

 We must not be afraid of excellence.  We must reject any generalised attitude of acceptance towards the mediocre, even inadequate; and name it for what it is, especially where it is bound up with deep and complex apprehensions of inferiority, inherited from the past.  For these we must seek continuing healing and wholeness, a liberation of the heart and mind and soul from any persisting legacy of the lies of apartheid.  The other side of the same coin is to beware of grandiose and indefensible claims which can never be realised – from the capacity of our economy or our global political influence to the potential of our football team – which then only reinforce the idea that failure, suitably dressed up in fine rhetorical clothes, is all we can expect.  No, we must be realistic about where we are coming from and what can be done, but always seeking to go forward, do better, make progress.

For we know that educational and economic poverty, left unaddressed, are mutually reinforcing, condemning generations to squalor; whereas education – rightly prioritised, resourced and directed – ought to be a primary means of escaping and overcoming financial deprivation, whether by individuals or of whole communities.  We need an economic wind of change.  We need the emancipation of all who are currently deprived of the ability, for whatever reason, to realise a decent and dignified standard of living.

The task of education, at every level, is to be alert and intentional in working to overcome these divisions and close these gaps, for their existence and their persisting, even worsening, is a scandal.  It is truly immoral.  Institutions such as ours must name and address these gulfs, speaking up against all in society that fuels their continuance, whether directly or indirectly, through the policies and practices of politicians, the private sector, civil society or anywhere else. 

And in our own area of expertise – education – we must engage with policy makers and role players, on only in the tertiary sector, but in support of reform that will ensure schools provide our children with the basic knowledge, and technical and language skills, to succeed in life, including in preparing them adequately for further study where this is appropriate.  Furthermore, unless we locate these skills within an ethical framework, which helps young people learn to pose and wrestle with deeper questions about life’s purpose, the human capacity for good and evil, and the need to choose between right and wrong, we are not going to build that ‘better life for all’ of which politicians and others so easily speak.

 Universities have a particular task in searching out and offering better ways forward, across the breadth of human activity.  For it is far easier to criticise and pull down, than to create and build up.  Yet universities, more than most other institutions, are called to be pioneers of new ideas, researching and developing fresh possibilities, new options, better ways ahead;  and then offering these resources to those who need to draw on them.  And we must do all this not in isolation, either from one another within our different disciplines, or from others around us.  For the comprehensive challenges of contemporary life require joined up responses, with joined up thinking and acting:  across academic fields; between academic institutions in this country, this continent and beyond; and in partnership with other spheres of society.  I am glad that, even in small ways, I am finding opportunities to engage with others across the continent, even the globe – with the African diaspora, and our friends – to bring new participants to the table as we seek effective solutions to poverty in all its ramifications.

‘Knowledge is power’ says the well-known maxim.  In the past, knowledge – knowledge available to, and controlled by, a narrow elite; knowledge as one of the currencies of empire – was used to subjugate and maintain enslavement.  Now, today, rightly harnessed, the power of knowledge, of true wisdom, can and must be deployed in the service of liberation and emancipation.

The past year has been exciting and full of activity in five provinces of South Africa with programme serving 3833 children with educational support (aftercare, school uniforms, school exemptions); 2335 assisted in accessing basic human rights (birth registration, legal services); 797 served with HIV prevention education; 336 referrals to Hospitals for general health and 76 children being closely monitored on ART adherence.

Here are snippets of what has happened on the field!

Grahamstown: (Amatole District)

A 17 year old boy who lived on the streets & whose father abandoned him – through intervention by our Child Care Workers was placed with people who care for him and application for foster grant is in process.

Two families whose houses collapsed – received new homes and various donations with help of our Child Care Workers.

The Youth Church Guild of Holy Trinity Anglican Church Parish raised funds and donated 25 blankets to needy families.

St. Gregory Anglican Church Parish got donation of R10 000 from Buffalo City Municipality.

Church leadership is so motivated to get involved with search for funding as they want the programme’s services to reach more people.

Natal:  (eThekwini  District)

A girl with beautiful voice was encouraged and supported by our Child Care Workers got sponsored by Eagle Studios and is going to release her first CD.

Our first matric pupils in the life of the programme existence, through our intervention, got sponsorship and are now at tertiary schools.

Umzimvubu: (Alfred Nzo district)

In OR Tambo district, through partnership with Department of Social Development 50 children attended a 5 day camp which they enjoyed, sponsored by DSD.

Three children, a girl of 17 years and two boys of 15 years suffered due to a cancelled grant, Child Care Workers intervened and re-registered the grants in November 2011.

St. Mark’s: (Greater Sekhukhune  District)

A family in real need of a child support grant, was assisted by Child Care Workers . Also in Capricorn district  a foster care grant was awarded to a family looking after the children.

False Bay: (City of Cape Town Metro district)

The Diocese had a big joint Life Skills and Protection Programme for 420 children from the different parishes.  The activities closed with a Christmas party where children were entertained by Daantjie Cat and and received gifts from “Father Christmas” (Santa Claus). The fire department had a demonstration for the children on how to protect themselves in the event of fire. Children also played games and had lots of fun.

By CLAIRE KEETON – Jun 20, 2010

New HIV infections in South Africa dropped by 35% between 2002 and 2008, a new study reveals. The most striking reduction was a 60% decline among 15 to 24-year-olds. These results – obtained from analysing three national HIV household surveys conducted in South Africa in 2002, 2005 and 2008 – confirm the initial findings of the 2008 survey, SA National HIV Prevalence, Incidence, Behaviour and Communications Survey: A Turning Tide Among Teenagers?

They provide the first scientific proof that HIV prevention campaigns in South Africa, promoting condom use and HIV testing, are making a dent in the high rate of new infections. “Behaviour change has definitely helped to reduce incidence among young women,” said Professor Thomas Rehle, the lead author of the paper published this week in PLoS One.

HIV incidence may be declining, but South Africa already has a high prevalence of HIV, with about one in seven adults (15%) infected by the virus. Dr Nono Simelela, CEO of the SA National Aids Council, said the latest findings were important. “They suggest we are making progress with behaviour change and treatment. But ours is a mature epidemic and the pool of HIV-positive people is already high.” Simelela suggested the goal of halving new infections – a target in the national HIV-Aids Strategic Plan 2007-2011 – was ambitious.

Dr Sue Goldstein from Soul City said the 2008 survey had hinted at a decrease in incidence and the latest analysis was good news. “I think the decrease, especially in the younger group, means that all the education and communication is coming to fruition – including the Soul Buddyz, Soul Buddyz Club and loveLife, which are making an impact, as well as Soul City. “We do know that there has been a huge increase in the use of condoms among the youth particularly and this, with other safer sexual practices, is starting to show an effect. “We cannot let up, and it is important that older people take their role modelling seriously and focus on all safer sexual behaviours, not just condom use, that is, decrease transactional and inter-generational sex, sex after drinking, multiple concurrent sexual partners and early sexual debut.”

For the first time in the 2008 survey researchers measured how many participants who tested positive for HIV were on anti-retroviral treatment (ART) – and this improved the accuracy of the latest calculations. They found nearly a fifth (17.5%) of the survey participants with HIV had tested positive for anti-retroviral drugs. In January 2005 only 33 000 people were on treatment, but by July 2009 this number had soared to 872 000.

Rehle said: “440 000 HIV-infected South African individuals were alive in 2008 because they were on anti-retroviral treatment and would have been dead otherwise.” People adhering to anti-retroviral treatment are less infectious but the numbers are not yet high enough in South Africa to make an impact on new infections. “Since access to treatment has only increased significantly in recent years, it is expected that such an effect would take longer to develop and require higher levels of ART coverage for an extended period of time,” the authors wrote.

See full details of the study:

Decline in HIV infections in South Africa – A Study

16 May 2010

The annual Candlelight Memorial continues as the longest running public event for HIV and AIDS awareness since inception in 1983 and is still the largest grassroots movement against HIV, spreading hope, and uniting countries and communities to honour and remember loved ones and compatriots who have died of AIDS, and to demonstrate support for those living with HIV and AIDS.

The Theme for this world wide event is “Many Lights for Human Rights” which is meant to promote both global solidarity and the need for collective action around HIV and human rights. The theme captures the collective movement of the Candlelight to move to action in the drive for access to treatment, care, and prevention, in addition to the elimination of stigma and discrimination. It also aligns with the UNAIDS 2009 World AIDS Day theme of “Universal Access & Human Rights”.

The Candlelight is also much more than just a memorial. It provides opportunities for leadership development, policy advocacy, partnerships, and improvement of community mobilization skills. With 33.4 million people living with HIV worldwide today, the Candlelight continues to serve as an important intervention for global solidarity, breaking down barriers, and giving hope to new generations.

Prayer

God of all the nations, so many of your children are crying out to you
worn down by injustice and suffering.
Help us to fulfil our goal of helping to make real the vision
that Christ spoke of as ‘the kingdom of God’
where justice reigns.
Help us to foster compassion one for another,
tolerating damage to no one and oppression by no system.

As we lit a candle remembering those living with HIV
and those who have passed on at this time
may we use all our energy and imagination
and trusting in your steadfast love
be united in conquering disease and fear.

In the last quarter, Vana Vetu has provided training to community volunteers, , after-school support services and School is Cool campaign, life skills, HIV & Aids prevention education, drama, dancing and music, survivor camps and accessing of legal services. In addition, child-care workers assist with psychosocial support, accessing of child support grants and registration for birth certificates and applications for ID.  

Major Programmatic highlights

In October Vana Vetu had successful collaboration with the University of Stellenbosch. The Unit for Religion and Development developed a course called Empowering women leaders of the Vana Vetu Orphans and Vulnerable Children programme of the Anglican Church.  This was an accredited training course NQF Level 5/12 credits. In the months which followed we have observed greater confidence in the women who attended this workshop and they are far more knowledgeable about community development, strategic planning, implementing and evaluation. They also learned about home based care, medication and caring for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). This information has been shared in the CBO and OVC workshops held in most of the parishes.

Other highlights include the participation of university students in the program. Two third year students from the Social Science Department at Stellenbosch are doing their internships at the Diocese of False bay and nine students from Rhodes University are doing community service with the Diocese of Grahamstown in the St Augustine parish. Students are from the Departments of Agriculture and Social Science.                

“School is Cool”

Stationary packs and school uniforms were also handed to deserving children. Between October 2009 and February 2010, 4083 services have been provided including after-school support, uniforms and stationery.

 CBO & OVC training

Training of child care workers and volunteers on OVC and Community based organisations are going well.  Saldanha have trained 26 people, False bay 99, St. Mark’s 66, Port Elizabeth 108, Umzimvubu 52 and Natal 13.  Most dioceses will be finishing training by the end of March.  

 Networking

AAHT has been in discussion with the Department of Health in the following provinces: Limpopo, North West and Western Cape, and Gauteng. Linkages with the following PEPFAR partners have resulted in benefits for Vana Vetu including services and information: Ingwavuma, Hospice, Noah, Child Welfare, Senzakwenzeke and Wo’zobona. Networking with other organisations similar to our OVC programme as well as clinics and schools has been a good method of strengthening community support, growing the program and assisting with the identification of new OVCs.

Netherlands, 22-23 March 2010

Dear friends, I bring greetings to you all from the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.  I also want to express my thanks to the organisers of this Summit, for arranging such a valuable programme – and therefore I’d particularly like to mention Revd Jape Heath from the Steering Group who was instrumental in arranging my invitation. 

I have recently returned from a pastoral visit to Haiti, where I found myself deeply stirred, in heart and mind and soul and body, as I saw the pervasive devastation and heard the deeply painful accounts of those who had lived through it and were now facing its aftermath.

As if that were not enough, the personal stories and testimonies that we have heard here today have been similarly soul-stirring.  I am deeply grateful to those who have had the courage to share in this way.  It makes me feel I am standing on holy ground – and respond with great care and sensitivity, responding not only to what was said, but also the breadth of sacred traditions that we represent here.

In this context, I will first paint a picture from the perspective of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa, using broad strokes.  Then I will end with a more detailed story from the windswept township of Khayelitsha on the outskirts of Cape Town.

When responding to HIV and AIDS, the question of stigma has been at the forefront of our minds within the Anglican Church of Southern Africa for some time.  Many of you will remember my predecessor as Archbishop of Cape Town, Njongonkulu Ndungane, speaking forcefully on the matter at least a decade ago. 

Before the end of the last century, we were realising that far too often the churches were, frankly, at least as much part of the problem as we were part of the solution.  Yes, we were committed to caring for the sick.  But when it came to stopping the spread of HIV, much of our stance was, I fear, unhelpful – fuelling stigma, with all its negative consequences.

Because of our disapproval of sex outside marriage, and because a small vocal minority have described AIDS as a judgement from God, not surprisingly, many have said that a cleric is the last person to whom they would disclose their status or go to for help.  Further, Churches have fuelled society’s negative responses to HIV and AIDS.  We all know the horror stories, which I won’t bother repeating.

Therefore, within Southern Africa, the Anglican Church has worked hard to change the way we speak about sex and sexuality, and HIV and AIDS.  Since 2002 we have had a comprehensive strategy, within which major resources have been devoted to educating clergy and lay leadership around all aspects of the virus;  and to producing age-appropriate and culturally sensitive material for sexual education within the church.

Tackling stigma has been a particular goal.  An independent survey conducted in 2006 shows we have been making progress.  People in our churches, by and large, have grasped that discourse around ‘God’s judgement’ is entirely inappropriate.  However, in a minority of places, social judgement is still communicated – explicitly or implicitly – from our pulpits and, perhaps more frequently, our pews.  The message coming across is that people have received their just deserts for immoral behaviour – whether sex or drugs – they have only themselves  to blame and should be ashamed of themselves.

Let’s be honest.  It is not easy for the church to get it right – especially when our spiritual teaching does indeed uphold faithfulness within marriage, and sexual abstinence outside of marriage, as the ideal.  But at the same time, we should not appear to preach that only perfection is acceptable, nor that sexual sin is worse than any other.  The true gospel of Jesus Christ addresses the real world:  of fallible humanity, often falling short on all manner of moral issues;  and of a God, who – though holy himself and sitting in judgement on all that is evil – is nonetheless a God of compassion and forgiveness.  More than this, as it says in the letter of St James, ‘mercy triumphs over judgement’ (Jas 2:14).  This is the message we must communicate effectively. 

Churches have never had a good track record when it comes to speaking about sex.  To address constructively what is largely a sexually transmitted disease has been a challenge – especially when some of our cultures have significant taboos around speaking openly on matters of sex.  Teaching clergy and a widening circle of lay leaders remains key in changing the attitudes within congregations and communities. 

Alongside this, we are finding it is important to develop ‘grass roots’ leaders who are role models within the wider community and among their peers, particularly among young people.  An additional priority to which we have become conscious is the deliberate, active and open inclusion of those who are HIV positive in leadership around the disease;  and indeed in church leadership more generally.  Too often in the past, others have acted ‘on behalf of’ those infected or affected by HIV, which has reinforced the message of second-class citizenry and exclusion.

There is still work to be done to ensure and maintain good levels of accurate knowledge around the disease.  We are also looking at why some clergy find it harder than others to address the issues.  Gender equality – or rather, prevailing inequality – is another target area – and again one in which Churches have long been part of the problem.  Churches must not be afraid to develop effective collaborative partnerships with other bodies, so that comprehensive programmes can be pursued in changing both attitudes and behaviours.

Let me end with a good news story from the township of Khayelitsha in Cape Town.

When church-based support groups were set up a few years ago, we found that people attended the one farthest from their home.  That has since changed.  Attitudes have altered in both the churches and the wider community. 

The main engine of change has been this:  through collaborative working of clinics, NGOs and others, nearly all women with children under 5 know their status.  This has proved to be a critical mass within the community, and it has become accepted for people to be open about their status, without stigma.  Knowledge is fundamental in overcoming stigma and ignorance. 

Or as Jesus said ‘You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free’ (Jn 8:32).  This is our goal.

Freshministries have been mobilizing resources and assisting AAHT in our interactions and accounting responsibilities with US aid Washington. This partnership is in its 5th year and has even resulted in a founding of a project facilitator initiative that is called “Be the Change”. Be the Change International serves as project facilitator and offers overall project management, capacity building, financial administration, and monitoring and evaluation reporting for its partners.

Promiscuity, unfaithfulness and unprotected sex are an offence against the sanctity of life, according to the head of the Anglican Church in South Africa.

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba made the remarks in a “moral state of the nation address” delivered at an interfaith function in Johannesburg on Wednesday night, and released on Thursday.

 
Although he did not mention President Jacob Zuma, his comments come amid controversy over the news that Zuma has fathered his 20th child with a woman who is not one of his wives.

Makgoba said it would be easy just to preach “no sex outside marriage”, which was what Christians and others upheld because it made for strong families and healthy societies. “But, if my words are completely out of touch with how people actually live, then I risk being dismissed as irrelevant,” he said. “Let me rather put it this way: promiscuity, unfaithfulness, adultery, unprotected sex that risks spreading HIV or resulting in unwanted pregnancies and the appallingly high numbers of abortions that occur in our country — all of these are offences against the sanctity, the sacredness, of life. “They are acts of emotional violence and physical peril, and demeaning to the human dignity of all involved.” He said such conduct was damaging to those involved, to the stability of society, and to future generations.

Sex was wonderful, and was one of God’s best gifts to humanity. “But the greatest gifts are open to the worst abuses. Let us use the gift of sexuality wisely and well.” Makgoba listed Mahatma Gandhi’s “seven deadly social sins”, one of which, he said, was “pleasure without conscience”.

“As the American satirist Felicia Lamport put it: vice is nice. But a little virtue won’t hurt you.”

Sapa

The Anglican Aids and Healthcare Trust (AAHT) sponsored a Dissemination Workshop for the DfID-funded Siyakha Programme – a comprehensive HIV & AIDS programme – in Johannesburg 28 -30 September 2009.  The purpose of the workshop was to share the “best practices” developed.  Reports presented at the workshop (plus additional ones not completed in time to be included) will soon be attached to AAHT’s website (www.anglicanaids.net) so that visitors can get a better feel for the work each diocese is doing. The workshop was attended by representatives from various stakeholders in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa – The Archbishop of Cape Town – The Most Reverend Thabo Makgoba; Bishop David Bannerman; Bishop Peter Lee; Bishop Les Walker; Bishop Meshack Mabuza; Bishop Adam Taaso and Bishop Merywn Castle; representatives from the British Government’s Department for International Development (DfID); Partner Organizations; Staff of the Trust; and Diocesan HIV & AIDS Coordinators from most of the 26 dioceses across the six countries in the Church’s Province of Southern Africa.

The broad objectives of the dissemination workshop were to:

• showcase the activities carried out within the funding period as well as the outcomes;
• share experiences, lessons learnt results, best practices and challenges for better future performance in their projects.
• Help projects to adopt strategies towards a sustainable future 

The Archbishop of Cape Town – Thabo Makgoba in his keynote address has thanked the British Government and its tax-payers for their support of his church’s work with those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. Those words of thanks were further reiterated by Diocesan HIV & AIDS Coordinators across the province. To mention a few:

“When we first heard the news of DfID funding coming to an end in November 2008, we went back to our communities to share the news. Although it came as a shock to all of them, they made a resolution to continue with the projects. The nine month extension (January – September 2009) that was awarded has helped these projects to expand capacity to such an extent that they show signs of being able to sustain themselves beyond this period.” Ms Inhle Mdlalose – Anglican Diocese of Swaziland.

“Thank you – I am being so resourced that I can be used anyway by my community”,  Reverend Canon Thomas Mafora – Anglican Diocese of Matlosane.

“I am so greatful to DfID, having started as an administrative person, now I wear several hats in my country in the HIV & AIDS field. I am so resourced in such a way that I am a consultant in the area of fundraising and proposal writing for companies big or small.” Ms. Mabothobile Shebe – Anglican Diocese of Lesotho.

 Although the Anglican Aids Healthcare Trust lost one of its major funding sources, it is not the end of the Trust. There are still programmes that are currently being run on the areas of prevention, capacity building and orphaned and vulnerable children.

The Archbishop of Cape Town has thanked the British Government and its tax-payers for their support of his church’s work with those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. Speaking in Johannesburg on Monday evening, 28 September, at a workshop run by the Anglican AIDS and Healthcare Trust (in partnership with the UK’s Department for International Development), Archbishop Thabo Makgoba said ‘You have helped us achieve the purposes for which this Trust was created.’

The meeting brings together representatives of the British Government, staff of the Trust, and Bishops and other participants from across the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. Over three days they are reviewing progress on the UK-funded Siyakha (‘We are building’) Project, and sharing best practices around the themes of prevention; treatment, care and support, income generation; and sustainability. 

In his opening address, the Archbishop expressed thanks also to the coordinators and volunteers from across the church, saying ‘You are the ones who take the vision and make it live.’ He said that though there was much to do, and challenging tasks ahead, it was also a time for celebrating so much that was already happening. ‘Orphans and vulnerable children are being better cared for; more people are receiving home-based care; more people are testing – and getting the treatment they need; more people are earning some cash income to supplement their diet, assist with school fees, and meet the basic needs of life; and more young people know about HIV prevention – and are developing the personal skills to protect themselves from HIV and AIDS.’ He added ‘and all this is just the tip of the iceberg of the holistic care that we aim to share and develop within the communities of which we are a part.’

Commending Sabelo Mashwama, CEO of the Trust, and his staff, the Archbishop placed this work within the Church’s wider goal of sharing Christ’s promise of ‘life in abundance’ with all people, bringing healing and wholeness in every dimension of life. Referring to Jesus’ lesson to his disciples that ‘whoever welcomes a child in my name, welcomes me – for the least among you is the greatest’, he said that the church’s concern, like that of Jesus, must be the well-being of every human person, every child of God, especially those who were less able to care for themselves.

In this regard, Archbishop Makgoba expressed concern at reports that the South African government was failing unequivocally to promote full equality for women before the law, in debates at the Human Rights Commission in Geneva. He called on the government to ensure the upholding of its commitment to women’s rights, which he described as ‘so important in the battle against HIV and AIDS.’ He added ‘This is especially so in our region, where gender inequality has been identified as one of the drivers of the pandemic, wherever women have limited or no power to protect themselves against infection.’ 

Putting others first was to put God first, said the Archbishop, and putting God first would enable people to draw on his energy and commitment, when the responsibilities of caring for others risked becoming exhausting or demoralising. He therefore stressed the importance of ensuring time to ‘rest in God and find his refreshment’. Archbishop Makgoba also noted that welcoming others as if welcoming Christ himself ensured that people were treated with appropriate dignity and respect. ‘We are not to deal with people as if they are children in the childish sense – as if they are immature and we alone are adults’ he stressed. 

Recalling Jesus’ words that ‘whoever is not against you is for you’ the Archbishop also commended collaboration with all who share the same overall goal, from international partners through to appropriate bodies in every sector of society including at parish level. He affirmed the Trust’s long-term commitment to working cooperatively. 

Archbishop Makgoba ended his address by praying that God would bless those present through their time together and beyond, and make them a rich blessing to others.   

Note for editors:

1. The Siyakha Programme – which means ‘We are building’ – is funded by the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID). It seeks to strengthen understanding among church and community leaders on HIV and AIDS, with a particular focus on the reduction of stigma, through care and impact mitigation, and of marginalization and to reduce the further spread of HIV.

Siyakha is building on the skills and capacity developed in the Isiseko Sokomeleza Programme and supporting and expanding projects initiated at each diocese. For further details see www.anglicanaids.net. 

2. The Anglican Church of Southern Africa, which Archbishop Makgoba heads, encompasses Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, St Helena, South Africa, Swaziland and Tristan da Cunha.

3. The full text of the Archbishop’s address is available from his office.

Issued by the Office of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town