Brand HIV+ people - Timothy

EZULWINI – Lubulini MP Timothy Myeni tickled the funny bone of his colleagues when he suggested that HIV positive people in the country should be branded.

Myeni lobbied his colleagues to enact legislation that would make it compulsory for every Swazi citizen to test for HIV. He said those found to have contracted the virus should be branded on the buttocks.

 The legislator was speaking yesterday at the Royal Swazi Sun during a leadership workshop for Parliamentarians. He was making submissions after a presentation by a NERCHA (National Emergency Response Council on HIV and AIDS) representative on the HIV situation in the kingdom.

While some of his colleagues jeered him, some laughed at Myeni’s submissions. He was not deterred though as he pressed forward with his presentation, up to the point of standing up to emphasise his points. “I have a solution to this virus. The problem here is that we don’t want to face the truth.

The solution will come from a law that will make it compulsory to test for HIV. Once you test positive, you should be branded on the buttocks. Before having sex with anyone, people will then check the buttocks of their partners before proceeding with their mission,” said Myeni while touching the part where he said the mark should be made.

He said this was the same way that the country was able to overcome the foot and mouth disease in cattle, as those with the sickness were separated from the healthy herd. Myeni also revealed that he had tested for the virus even though he did not disclose his status.

Ludzeludze MP Nonhlanhla Dlamini disagreed with Myeni, pointing out that the solution was sticking to one partner and practicing good moral behaviour. Speaker Prince Guduza wanted to know the reasons for the escalating statistics of HIV positive people when the state and international organisations had channeled so much money into the fight against HIV.

Lobamba MP Majahodvwa Khumalo doubted the reliability of the equipment used to test for HIV.
The MP said when he tested, he was found to be negative yet the equipment used to check the CD 4 count found that it was at zero.

Senator Vuka “Moi Moi” Masilela said the virus was spreading because people still do not want to reveal the causes of death for their relatives.
He said even doctors do not say it out if patients had died of HIV and AIDS but often cited the opportunistic infections like pneumonia and Tuberculosis (TB).