Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - Sunday 02 June 2002
Prega Govender
The move follows the dismissal of Sibongile Mkhize by the KwaZulu-Natal Education Department in December last year after, she claimed, she disclosed her HIV status to her headmaster.
But the department this week denied that Mkhize, a teacher at the Sion Primary School on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, had been dismissed because of her illness.
Education department spokesman Mandla Msibi said Mkhize, who was reinstated to her post earlier this year, was initially dismissed because she had absconded from school.
"The department supports people with Aids," he said.
The South African Democratic Teachers' Union this week demonstrated at the education department's offices in central Durban in support of Mkhize.
Mlungisi Ntombela, secretary for the South African Democratic Teachers' Union in the Durban North region, said Mkhize and another HIV-infected teacher from Pietermaritzburg had been discriminated against by the department.
"The issue of Mrs Mkhize absconding and not submitting leave forms is not true. They are saying that she is lying that she is HIV-positive. Lots of teachers don't want to disclose their HIV status because they are afraid of this type of discrimination from the department."
Hassen Lorgat, Sadtu's media officer, said teachers were becoming "increasingly frightened to declare their status".
Mkhize, who was present at the placard demonstration, said that after she disclosed her HIV status to her principal, he turned the community and the school's governing body against her.
Last weekend I received death threats. I had to flee from my home and I am now in hiding," she said.
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