Caswell Maluleke, former Executive Mayor of Bohlabela District Municipality and Speaker of the Council of Ehlanzeni District Municipality

The 'unique partnership' between Humana People to People and Bohlabela District Municipality. This is how the former Executive Mayor of Bohlabela District Muncipality describes their partnership with Humana People to People.

In 2005, when I was still functioning as the Executive Mayor of the Bohlabela District Municipality, the District entered into a unique partnership with Humana People to People in South Africa.

The objective of the partnership was to make a major effort in fighting the HIV and AIDS epidemic, which was haunting our district and put all development efforts in jeopardy. The uniqueness about the partnership was the programme, which Humana People to People in South Africa offered: the Total Control of the Epidemic, also called TCE.

I and my colleagues in the district knew from the start that this was an extraordinary programme. Humana People to People planned to recruit local people as Field Officers to go door to door and talk to all people one by one about HIV and AIDS all over the municipality. We not only saw this as a good opportunity to make a difference in the question of HIV and AIDS, but also to get many people employed and engaged in meaningful actions and build the capacity of our young people. What further encouraged us to this partnership was that Humana also brought funding from USAID, which they would invest in the district.

I can say that the TCE programme has more than lived up to the expectations. I live in Bushbuckridge, which is now part of Ehlanzeni District Municipality, and I have therefore experienced myself that TCE really has made a difference. I have seen the Field Officers in their red t-shirts continuously carrying out their efforts to open people’s minds and to make people take a stand. Local communities and their leaders have taken the programme at heart and have engaged in the fight against the epidemic. TCE has worked with clinics and has thereby supported the efforts of the nurses and health workers. I like the military approach of the programme. HIV and AIDS is one of the biggest challenges in our society, and it is necessary that we reach people one by one, deal with their challenges individually and make them understand that it is only them who can take responsibility for their lives. Government can help in this endeavor by offering services, but it is only the people who can liberate themselves.

In September 2008, three TCE areas in Bushbuckridge came to a closure, and the programme was handed over to the local community members. More than 1000 people were gathered in the community hall and the atmosphere was overwhelming. Speech by speech was made by people from TCE, by community members, by local leaders and government officials, Department of Health, Traditional Healers, and School Principals. All joined in one voice to express their commitment to work together to continue the fight. I also noticed some blue t-shirts in the hall, which I was told were Hope Humana Activists, another Humana People to People programme which will continue to operate in Bushbuckridge after TCE.