Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
South African Press Association - October 13, 2006
"I have come to this conference for the last four years and heard the same thing; it's time to take some action," declared one delegate.
"We need tangible recommendations on the issues, tell us what we can do," said musician Yvonne Chaka-Chaka as she chaired the session on social values.
The three-day conference was aimed at further developing a multi-sectoral response to HIV/Aids in the province.
In opening the conference Premier Mbhazima Shilowa highlighted the progress made.
He said more than 80% of the province's clinics provide Aids care, counselling and HIV tests and 89% provide treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis.
Shilowa also stressed the importance of education in fighting the pandemic.
"We continue to implement life-skills programmes in more than 90% of Gauteng schools; 8 000 teachers have been trained in life-skills education," he said.
Anthony Meyers from the department of education said the programme is a curriculum intervention designed to change risky sexual behaviour in young people.
"The programme includes sexuality education as well as dealing with peer pressure, improving self-esteem and promoting positive values, attitudes and skills," he said.
He said the main challenge remained transforming the awareness created by the life-skills programme into positive behaviour change.
South Africans need to return to their traditional values to restore society, HIV South Africa's Glen Mabuza said at a session focusing on improving social values.
"It's high time we go back to our culture," she said.
The breakdown of a sense of community is partly responsible for suffering values, added a Nigerian delegate.
"Individualism is rife in South Africa, people are too self-centred and this is fuelled by materialism," said Clifford Odimegwu of the University of the Witwatersrand.
Youth delegate Lebogang Ramashala said parents should explain traditional values so they could be adequately valued and understood by the younger generation.
"Values, cultures and traditions are not static and dialogue around lasting African values need to emerge and we can see here that they are," said Methodist Bishop Paul Verryn.
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