JASON WESSENAAR

Jason Wessenaar presented both the 2004 and 2005 series of Siyayinqoba Beat It!

Siyayinqoba Beat It! 2004

In 2004, antiretroviral treatment became available in South Africa through the public health system and the doors of the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation, our national broadcaster, were opened to CHMT. We produced a 26 part series in co-production with SABC. We highlighted stories such as that of HIV positive high school learner Linda Pindani, who was intent on entering into manhood through a traditional Xhosa circumcision ceremony. Pindani at this stage had however also progressed to stage four of the disease, and his compromised immune system meant that he had to make tough decisions around this rite of passage.

Siyayinqoba Beat It! 2005

In 2005, CHMT produced another series in co-production with SABC Education, the issues that we highlighted in this series were stories such as: "How to disclose your HIV status" in which a young girl from a poor area in the Western Cape actually disclosed her status ON CAMERA for the first time to her aunt. In 2005, CHMT was personally affected by the loss of a fellow activist, professor Ronald Louw to AIDS – his story highlighted another aspect of the epidemic in South Africa – that of middle class denialism. The episode on Prisons and HIV, shot in Westville Prison, also became a catalyst that prompted the inmates to start demanding treatment.

Beat It! 2000 Episode 11 - Special Report

In this episode the Beat It! team met up with the South African Trade Unions to see what they were doing and planned to do in the fight against HIV/AIDS. They impressed the team so much that we opted to give both the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the National Council of Trade Unions the Red Ribbon Award.