Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa was a no-show at the launch of the 16th International Aids Conference in Durban on Friday morning.
Ramaphosa was billed to appear at an 8am launch event and street parade ahead of the conference that is to take place in Durban in July.
He was also due to interact with potential voters in the Hammarsdale township in Mpumalanga on Friday‚ according to a statement issued by the provincial A(African National Congress) ANC office on Thursday.
Municipal officials went ahead with the launch programme‚ saying they were uncertain why Ramaphosa wasn't available.
ANC media liaison officer Mhlabunzima Memela‚ however‚ said Ramaphosa would visit Hammarsdale later on Friday afternoon.
Meanwhile‚ speaking at the press conference to mark the 100-day countdown to the conference‚ Patrick Mdletshe‚ chairman of the KZN Civil Society Forum‚ said the event needed to make a difference.
“This conference will shape our response to HIV moving forward. We are excited that it'll make a big difference. This conference should be a game-changer to South Africa and to the world in terms of how we're responding to HIV/Aids‚” he said.
It was particularly important to residents of Durban and KwaZulu-Natal‚ “which continues to be the epicentre of HIV in South Africa”.
Premier Senzo Mchunu said the focus on South Africa that comes with the conference would push officials to do even more. Of the 3.4-million people in South Africa receiving treatment‚ 1-million of them are in KZN.
“This event will put pressure on us to fight even more. It will inspire us to put in even greater effort‚” he said.
“It's not a conference of 20 000 human beings; it's a convergence of ideas‚ scientific ideas‚ and we're expecting sparks and that everyone would have been working really hard to showcase that we are reaching milestone in the fight against HIV/Aids.
“We want to see those sparks and that we break into a new phase in the fight against HIV/Aids – a phase of decisiveness.
Mchunu added: “By and large‚ this conference is a conference of hope.”
Host city mayor James Nxumalo said the event would assist more than just those infected and affected by HIV/Aids.
“It will attract approximately 20 000 delegates from all over the world . The economic impact in the region of R700-million. It is important that we highlight a critical conference that tries to find solutions to minimise the national and international impact of HIV/Aids‚ but also that‚ through it‚ families will be able to put food on their tables‚” he said.
No reason given for Ramaphosa’s aids conference launch snub
Ramaphosa was billed to appear at an 8am launch event and street parade ahead of the conference that is to take place in Durban in July.
He was also due to interact with potential voters in the Hammarsdale township in Mpumalanga on Friday‚ according to a statement issued by the provincial A(African National Congress) ANC office on Thursday.
Municipal officials went ahead with the launch programme‚ saying they were uncertain why Ramaphosa wasn't available.
ANC media liaison officer Mhlabunzima Memela‚ however‚ said Ramaphosa would visit Hammarsdale later on Friday afternoon.
Meanwhile‚ speaking at the press conference to mark the 100-day countdown to the conference‚ Patrick Mdletshe‚ chairman of the KZN Civil Society Forum‚ said the event needed to make a difference.
“This conference will shape our response to HIV moving forward. We are excited that it'll make a big difference. This conference should be a game-changer to South Africa and to the world in terms of how we're responding to HIV/Aids‚” he said.
It was particularly important to residents of Durban and KwaZulu-Natal‚ “which continues to be the epicentre of HIV in South Africa”.
Premier Senzo Mchunu said the focus on South Africa that comes with the conference would push officials to do even more. Of the 3.4-million people in South Africa receiving treatment‚ 1-million of them are in KZN.
“This event will put pressure on us to fight even more. It will inspire us to put in even greater effort‚” he said.
“It's not a conference of 20 000 human beings; it's a convergence of ideas‚ scientific ideas‚ and we're expecting sparks and that everyone would have been working really hard to showcase that we are reaching milestone in the fight against HIV/Aids.
“We want to see those sparks and that we break into a new phase in the fight against HIV/Aids – a phase of decisiveness.
Mchunu added: “By and large‚ this conference is a conference of hope.”
Host city mayor James Nxumalo said the event would assist more than just those infected and affected by HIV/Aids.
“It will attract approximately 20 000 delegates from all over the world . The economic impact in the region of R700-million. It is important that we highlight a critical conference that tries to find solutions to minimise the national and international impact of HIV/Aids‚ but also that‚ through it‚ families will be able to put food on their tables‚” he said.
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