MEC SHINGA LEADS WORLD AIDS DAY COMMEMORATION IN UGU DISTRICT

By Sifiso Xulu

• Integrated leadership approach: MEC Shinga used the World AIDS Day platform to reinforce the District Development Model and Operation Sukuma Sakhe as key vehicles for coordinated community responses to HIV and related social challenges.
• Link between HIV, GBVF and substance abuse: The MEC highlighted the need for an integrated, people-centred approach to address interconnected social and health challenges. “We cannot achieve lasting progress if we address HIV and AIDS in isolation”.
• Community mobilisation and remembrance: The candlelight tribute and awareness march demonstrated solidarity with people living with HIV and renewed community commitment to prevention and education.

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Social Development, Ms Mbali Shinga, on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, led the provincial World AIDS Day commemoration at the INkosi Mkwakwa Community Hall in Dududu, Ward 19 of the uMdoni Local Municipality, uGu District. The commemoration reaffirmed government’s commitment to intensifying the fight against HIV and AIDS while strengthening community-driven responses to the epidemic.
As the champion of the District Development Model (DDM) and Operation Sukuma Sakhe in the uGu District, MEC Shinga emphasized the significance of integrated, multi-sectoral collaboration to address public health and social challenges. She was accompanied by leaders from the uGu District Municipality, the uMdoni Local Municipality, the Department of Health, and other key stakeholders, highlighting a coordinated approach to advancing community wellness and development.
World AIDS Day is commemorated annually across the globe as a platform to honour those living with HIV, remember lives lost to AIDS-related illnesses, and renew commitments to ending the epidemic. South Africa’s 2025 theme, “Renewed Efforts and Sustainable Commitments to End AIDS,” calls for strengthened prevention strategies, improved access to treatment, and sustained investment in health and social services, particularly amid evolving global funding constraints.
Addressing community members and stakeholders, MEC Shinga emphasised the interlinked nature of HIV and AIDS, gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), and substance abuse. She called for an integrated, people-centred response that prioritises prevention, protection and empowerment. “We cannot achieve lasting progress if we address HIV and AIDS in isolation. These challenges are interconnected, and our response must be coordinated, inclusive and focused on restoring dignity and resilience within our communities,” she said.
The commemoration also featured a candlelight tribute led by MEC Shinga, community leaders and representatives from faith-based organisations, symbolising solidarity with people living with HIV and remembrance of those who have succumbed to AIDS-related illnesses. This was followed by a community awareness march aimed at promoting dialogue, education and shared responsibility in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
Through this commemoration, the Department of Social Development reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to community mobilisation, prevention initiatives and multi-sectoral partnerships as critical pillars in accelerating progress towards ending HIV and AIDS.