THE IMPLICATIONS OF HIV AND AIDS ON MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE
“Co-operation for integrated responses to an uncompromising pandemic.”
2nd December 2005,
Council Chambers, Boksburg Civic Centre, Cnr Market & Trichardt Streets, Boksburg
Background
HIV and AIDS have evolved from a mysterious sickness often surrounded by endless interpretations and
sometimes unfounded myths. These have generated many debates in academic circles, health
practitioners’ circles, at home, in communities at work and more recently in development circles. Whether
these debates have brought us close to finding a cure for the pandemic is another subject for further
debate.
As these debates rage on a few things are certain. First is that the debate has gone far beyond the ambit of
health into the development arena. By their nature community and city development are multi-faceted and
rely on co-operation between a wide range of stakeholders. The evolution of responses to the pandemic
into the development arena therefore implies that there must be a wide range of stakeholders working
together to address the resultant challenges. The major implications on human lives and other socioeconomic and cultural issues have elevated the challenge to even greater heights.
In this context The Department of Provincial and Local Government has initiated a process of developing a
framework for integrated developmental local governance responses to HIV and AIDS. This begins by
identifying some key issues such as:
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HIV infection and AIDS impacts thrive in conditions of socio-economic vulnerability and inequity.
HIV and AIDS impact on the sustainability of communities and their development conditions.
Development conditions also affect HIV prevalence and the impact of AIDS on individuals,
households and communities.
HIV and AIDS aggravate intrinsic vulnerabilities (i.e. existing weaknesses and flaws).
The department further indicates that HIV and AIDS are both a crisis of and an opportunity for
development:
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Crisis of development because the epidemic threatens to roll back the development gains that have
been achieved since the transition to democracy and the birth of developmental local governance in
SA
An opportunity as it highlights those systemic social, economic, cultural and political practices and
structures that hinder development efforts and continue to entrench poverty and the marginalisation
of constituents. This by extension increases the vulnerability of the constituencies that are being
served.
The questions to ask then are: Do all the sentiments, commitments, policies and tireless efforts result in
maximum impacts? Are resources utilised efficiently to maximise impacts using minimal resources? How
would collaboration and sharing of resources (financial, human, information etc) impact on our responses
to the challenge? Who needs to collaborate? What should each focus on? How best can this collaboration
be effected?
Objectives
Based on the challenges outlined above and the mandates of SACN to facilitate shared learning and to
provide information that enables member cities and other stakeholders to develop and enhance their
strategic planning the main objectives of this seminar are:
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To demonstrate the importance of an integrated response to HIV and AIDS and collaboration to
achieve this
Highlight some specific developmental issues that need to be addressed by municipalities in their
responses to the pandemic
Share experiences and knowledge on best practices, opportunities and challenges with selected
municipalities
Explore roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders that need to co-operate in the fight
against the pandemic
Launch an electronic support system that municipalities and other stakeholders can utilize in
developing their respective strategies and sharing experiences, knowledge and information.
Participants
The main participants in the seminar will be:
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Municipal employees tasked with the responsibility of overall planning and coordination of municipal
responses to HIV and AIDS, including IDP managers
Municipal employees tasked with the responsibility of implementing specific aspects of the
municipalities’ responses.
Department of provincial and local government
Department of health
HIV and AIDS coordinators in Provincial departments of Local Government.
Provincial IDP coordinators
Provincial AIDS councils
South African Local Governments Association.
Other local provincial and national stakeholders working on HIV and AIDS.
Research institutions conducting or intending to conduct research in developmental aspects of HIV
and AIDS