Sol Plaatje speaker pledges to revive Aids Council at International Aids Candlelight Memorial Day

THE SPEAKER of the Sol Plaatje Municipality, Councillor Dipuo Peters, has committed to reviving the local municipality chapter of the Aids Council, led by Executive Mayor Councillor Martha Bartlett. This commitment was made during the municipality's International Aids Candlelight Memorial Day 2025, held at the council chambers in Kimberley on Thursday.

Councillor Peters was taken aback by the lack of a functional Aids Council in the municipality and assured the audience that the council would be re-established.

"We will constitute the local Aids Council. I am assuring you that by the time we commemorate World Aids Day on December 1, 2025, it will be done under the auspices of a newly-established structure," she said.

"To the caregivers, activists, health professionals, and community leaders, we owe you a debt of gratitude. Your unwavering dedication continues to shine a light in the darkest of times.

"From advocating for education and prevention to ensuring access to testing and treatment, you are the heart and soul of this movement. Your work in saving lives, and your courage gives us hope that one day we will live in a world free from the fear of HIV/Aids," said Councillor Peters in extending words of encouragement, and in highlighting the stigma cast on HIV/Aids.

The use of traditional herbs as a substitute for antiretrovirals (ARVs) was also strongly discouraged. Benny Collins of the Professional Association of Traditional Health Practitioners urged the municipality to take action against unregistered traditional healers who promote the use of traditional herbs over ARVs.