Home / Episode 22

Siyayinqoba Beat It! 2005 Episode 22 –

The Media and HIV

In this episode the Siyayinqoba team discussed the role the media plays in the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The team focused on two books and a movie which they felt the viewers would find informative and enjoyable. First, they spoke to Judge Edwin Cameron about his book Witness to AIDS. Then they discussed a children’s book called Brenda has a Dragon in her Blood by Hijltje Vink. The book is about the life of a young girl who is living with HIV. Finally the team revealed the critically acclaimed movie Yesterday to the viewers.

Jason Wessenaar: Siyani amukhela ku Siyayinqoba Support Group. [Hi, welcome to the Siyayinqoba Beat It! Support Group.] My name is Jason. Each week I get together with other people who are living with HIV and AIDS to discuss issues that affects our lives from positive living, sex and sexuality. uSiyayinqoba hihlelo lakho lokhu phila kancono ne HIV. Uma uphila ne gciwane le HIV [Siyayinqoba is your guide to better living with HIV. If you are living with the virus] or you have a partner a family member friend who is HIV positive Siyayinqoba is for you. Today we are talking about the role of the media in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Different kinds of media represents and portray people living with HIV in a positive or negative way. Today discussing the role of the media focuses on two books and a movie which we felt you will find informative and enjoyable. First we talk to Judge Edwin Cameron about his book Witness to AIDS. We are delighted that for the first time Edwin is with us to talk about his book. Welcome Edwin. Then we talk about a children’s book called Brenda has a Dragon in her Blood by Hijltje Vink this is a book about the life of a young girl who is living with HIV, finally we reveal Yesterday. {IsiZulu}

Jason Wessenaar: Edwin why the book and why now?

Edwin Cameron: Jason I think we had a silent epidemic; there are so few voices on the epidemic, we have voices but they haven’t expressed themselves in a book yet, and I wanted to write a book as someone who is living with HIV and who is able to survive the epidemic, so my book really tries to send a message of hope politically and personally right through this epidemic.

Vuyani Jacobs: One thing that strikes me a friend of mine asked me why you named it Witness to AIDS while you living with HIV. So I would really like for you to really explain that to me; why you say Witness to AIDS and you had full blown AIDS?

Edwin Cameron: The title Witness to AIDS references back to the fact that I’m a professional person and I’m very honoured in this wonderful country of ours to hold office under the world’s best Constitution, as a judge, but I’m not just a judge I’m also a human being that is living with AIDS, that has survived AIDS, that had the privileged of treatment of love and care to survive AIDS. So while I’m a judge I should not take part in current political controversy, but as a person who has been blessed with life with this epidemic of death I was also called to witness in a personally capacity. That is were the title of the book comes from.

Anthony Fernandes: The most important part of the book was really the issues about shame but I think the way he dealt with shame and giving it the name and how to release oneself it was so inspirational really for me it was like enlightenment as well.

Edwin Cameron: I think one of the most difficult things for us as people living with HIV and the many of us today is actually to recognise that we have an ally inside of ourself with the stigma outside. There is stigma outside. Inside our self we feel contaminated, we feel unwell and unclean and we feel disentitled to the rest and we must identify that feeling within ourselves.

Ricardo Moses: As daar miskien meer mense wat uit kom met hulle stories sal dit miskien die stigma, nie net deur boeke te skryf nie maar om publiek in om koerante ook te gaan miskien, sal dit help om stigma te breek? {Afrikaans} [If more people told their stories not necessarily through writing books but perhaps by publishing their stories in newspapers, will that help to break the stigma?]

Edwin Cameron: Die meer mense uit praat, waar hulle ook al is, of hulle in die bedrywe is en of hulle sokker speel of vermaaksmense of polietisie, ons wag nog vir ons verkose leiers om uit te kom daarmee, dit sal baie help met stigma. Want so dra ons sien dat onse leiers ook begin praat oor die normalisering; dat hierdie siekte normal is nou, ons hoef dit nie meer iets eislik en aaklig te behandel nie. {Afrikaans} [The more people who speak out, whoever they may be whether they are business people, soccer players, entertainers or politicians we’re still waiting for our elected leaders to go public on this issue, it will help a lot with stigma. As soon as we see our leaders begin to speak about normalisation of this disease, we don’t have to treat it as something scary and horrible.]

Vuyani Jacobs: I actually fail to see the representation in South African society; Sexwales and Ramaphosa all the people in cabinet coming up and say they have HIV or they give clear leadership on HIV.

Edwin Cameron: It is the working class, black people often unemployed, often women who are taking the burden of openness in this epidemic. So we don’t have prominent position holders who speak out, as it happens I’m a white man and in a black country, I’m a gay man and a proudly gay man in a heterosexual epidemic. And I have chosen to speak out and we are really looking for other role models who hold public office, who are public elected representatives, other people who are black heterosexually as well as people who are white and gay as well as women we are looking for everyone to represent epidemic because really AIDS is at the point were we can normalise it, we can dealt with it, we can manage it, we can treat it, we can survive it, the epidemic.

Jason Wessenaar: The people at the top, like the editors, the producers the people who own the media we need to involve them, we need to find a way in involving people living with HIV in those fields so that the correct messages, the correct images of people living with HIV are portrayed.

Anthony Fernanades: What irritates me the most almost is that the media wants almost, wants HIV people to slightly feel wounded or slightly kind of disadvantaged; that is all true, but I think once we have established our own healing process we sort of feel really good and better and stronger about ourselves then for me, then I have something to offer, then I have something to say. It would be great for me to see somebody on a even a South Africa soapie were somebody is portrayed as someone who is HIV positive but happy, somebody who has a life, who gets on with it, who has a sense of humor instead of feeling or he has a secrecy everybody knows that story. Portray something lighter, I think we are forgetting about people who are HIV negative who plays a big part in the education of HIV, I’m thinking just for example Peter……. his mission’s going around in schools that have a very important message he can not live without this people with their support and help. And I was wondering now you have written this book, you have told your story, your have said something which is really important, is there more, is there something to offer you can say what is the light looks forward do you know?

Edwin Cameron: The important thing that Anthony is saying is we really have our own lives to really continue living. That this is not a story of objection and suffering and defeat that we are really in this epidemic, this epidemic is about claiming our lives. There are five or six million South Africans who are claiming their lives through positive living; positive attitude to access to treatment so that is the important part. So my life is continuing I feel blessed, I feel blessed to be able to get up, I work as a lawyer, I work as a judge, I work in the number of organisations and that what you talking about that, yes, I hope there is a story, yes I hope that I’m 52 years old now, I hope I reach eighty then I will meet a bus on the street I’m not expecting the bus will knock me down. I know that there is viruses that are going to knock me down.

Jason Wessenaar: Don’t go away because after the break we talk about a children book called Brenda has a Dragon in her Blood.

Jason Wessenaar: Viewers we welcome you back on Siyayinqoba Beat It! Support Group. The programme for every one infected and affected by HIV. We need to talk about HIV and AIDS with young children and the book Brenda has a Dragon in her Blood. We are joined by Ricardo and Natasha who will share their feeling about the book. Welcome Ricardo and Natasha. But first let’s pick up some background about the book launch of Brenda has a Dragon in her Blood.

Brenda has a Dragon in her Blood
Book launch

Marlies Klooster (Public Relations Officer, Biblionef SA): Brenda is a girl originally from Rwanda, she is living now in the Netherlands, the book was written ten years ago. Or we can say seven years ago when Brenda was seven years, her foster mother saw that she was discriminated against by other children and other teachers. And then she felt: “Okay if I can write a book for Brenda she can just give it to these people so that they know that they can just play with Brenda and be their friends.”

Jean Williams (Director of Biblionef SA): The author of this book Hijltje Vink wrote this story called Brenda has a Dragon in her Blood, in the hope that children, even adults, will be not be scared to interact with people who are HIV positive. That was her aim.

Peter Fenton (Western Cape Department of Education): HIV and AIDS probably poses the biggest challenge yet. Brenda has a Dragon in her Blood is a brilliant book, beautifully written, is beautifully illustrated and with wonderful simplicity deals with a very difficult issue so that young people, young children can easily understand what HIV /AIDS is and how it can affect them. In the introduction Hijltje says I have a dream that resonates nicely in the world were people are not discriminated against because they are brown yellow or red because they have AIDS are poor or disabled these are the very same values which education is tasked on promoting, these are the values of this Constitution of this country since 1994.

Support group

Natasha Mtelekiso: Uma ilele inkanyamba uBrenda uyaphila. Isisu sakhe asibi buhlungu akapathwa yikhanda. Umkhuhlane uyaphela. Kanti zonke izinyembezi ziphele nya. Ubrenda unenkanyamba egazini lakhe.Le nkanyambe kufanele ihlale ilele. {IsiZulu} [When the dragon is sleeping, Brenda is healthy. Her stomach and the head do not ache. The fever goes away and she doesn’t cry anymore. Brenda has a dragon in her blood. This dragon must always be sleeping.]

Ricardo Moses Jr: Donker kinders, lug kinders, geel kinders, groot kinders, klein kinders en piepklein babatjies. Al hierdie kinders is doodgewone kinders, wat doodgewone maats nodig het om mee saam te speel. Om saam uit een beker te drink, saam in een bedtjie te slaap en saam ’n lekkie uit die suikerpot gaps. {Afrikaans} [Dark children, light children, yellow children, big children, small children and very young babies. All these children are normal children who need normal friends to play with, to drink from the same cup, to sleep in the same bed and to steal a lick from a sugar jar together.]

Jason Wessenaar: Ricardo I know that you have read the book, what do you think about the book?

Ricardo Moses Jr: Die boek is mooi. Brenda het ’n draakie in sy bloed en baie mense sê dat kinders moet nie saam met Brenda speel nie want hulle is bang daai draakie gaan uit kom. Is nie net sy wat ’n draakie in haar bloed in het nie. Daar is baie kinders in die wêreld wat ’n draakie in haar bloed in het. {Afrikaans} [The book is beautiful. Brenda has a dragon in her blood and people say children must not play with her because they fear the dragon may come out, she’s not the only one with a dragon in her blood. Many children around the world have a dragon in their blood.]

Anthony Fernandes: Dis niks snaaks nie, is ek reg? Dis gewoond. Daar is baie kinders wat draake het en betui het nie. {Afrikaans} [It’s nothing strange, am I right? It’s normal. Many children have dragons and some don’t.]

Ricardo Moses: Die ander kinders hoef nie bang te wees nie. {Afrikaans} [The other children don’t have to be scared.]

Anthony Fernandes: Ken jy van ander kinders by die skool wat draake in hulle bloed het? En het jou vriende van hierdie boek gelees? {Afrikaans} [Do you know other children at school with dragon in their blood? And has any of your friends read this book?]

Ricardo Moses Jr: Nee, ek weet nie. {Afrikaans} [No, I don’t know.]

Anthony Fernandes: So dink jy dis ’n storie wat jy met jou vriende kan deel {Afrikaans} [So do you think it’s a story that you can share with them?]

Ricardo Moses Jr: Ja. [Yes.]

Anthony Fernandes: Why?

Ricardo Moses Jr: Want ek dink baie kinders daar buite moet ook weet van Brenda wat ’n draakie in haar bloed het. {Afrikaans} [Because I think children out there should know about Brenda has a dragon in her blood.]

Anthony Fernandes: Verstaan jy hoe pa ’n draak in sy bloed het? {Afrikaans} [Do you understand hoe your dad has a dragon in his blood?]

Ricardo Moses Jr: Ja. [Yes.]

Anthony Fernandes: So jy ken daai storie? So jy wil nie hê dat kinders snaaks kyk na jou nie nê? {Afrikaans} [So you understand that story? You don’t want children to treat you differently?]

Ricardo Moses Jr: Hulle is al klaar snaaks vir my by die skool. {Afrikaans} [They are already treating me differently at school.]

Anthony Fernandes: Hoekom? Wat sê hulle? {Afrikaans} [Why? What do they say?]

Ricardo Moses: Toemaar, praat… {Afrikaans} [It’s ok, you can talk…]

Anthony Fernandes: Ricardo, weet jy ons gaan vir al daai kinders leër. {Afrikaans} [Ricardo, we are going to teach all those children.]

Jason Wessenaar: I mean, I’m sure you guys have read the book. What do you guys think about the book?

Lihle Dlamini: It’s written in all eleven languages and I think it’s not only helpful for abatwana abacane, but also for abantu abadala {IsiZulu} [children, but also for adults] who are illiterate who are learning to read and write it’s also very good and its also gives that basic knowledge of HIV and AIDS.

Ricardo Moses: Vir my is hierdie boekie baie gemaak vir ook ouers wat nie miskien weet hoe om die prent duideluk te stel aan hulle kinders oor HIV/AIDS. En veral soos hulle twee; tieners. Ek vind die boek baie interessant, waar ’n mens so iets aan hulle kan gee en op ’n later stadium vir hom stadig en stadig maar sê dit is eintlik, dit is die proses wat mens deur gaan. So ek vind die boek baie interessant, regtig. {Afrikaans} [For me, this book is useful for parents who don’t know how to explain to their children about HIV/AIDS. Especially like the two them, teenagers. I find the book very interesting, because it can be given to them and at a later stage explain to them the process in more details. So I find the book very interesting.]

Lihle Dlamini: Accessibility of this book can also help otisha bazi ukuthi ba relate i-information on HIV and AIDS issues ebatwaneni. {IsiZulu} [teachers relate information on HIV/AIDS issues to the children.]

Jason Wessenaar: Unfortunately Justice Edwin has to go back to Bloemfontein so we have to say goodbye to him.

Jason Wessenaar: When we come back we talk about the film Yesterday. Stay tuned.

[Extract from the movie Yesterday]

Jason Wessenaar: The movie Yesterday its been hailed by critics as inspiring, compelling viewing do you guys think it’s really relevant in 2005 in terms of the content of that movie.

Busisiwe Maqungo: Okanye mandithi mna bendicinga nokho ibekwe kwi context apho hlawumbi ino nedlela inika ithemba, I don’t’ know ukuthi abanye abantu bacinga kanjani. Because kum ingokugula no kufa uya understander and asiyinto esiyifunayo kulomu nyaka. Into esiyifunayo esikhangoku, ukunika ithemba ebantwini. {IsiXhosa} [For me it seems like it’s been put in the context of giving hope. I don’t know what others think, because for me it’s about getting sick and death which is not what we’re looking for in movies nowdays. What we need is to give hope to the people.]

Lihle Dlamini: Lento yokuthi uya esibhedlela you walk [This thing of going to hospital you walk] very long distances and get to return back home and don’t see a doctor and ufanele ubuye ngolosibili isuku elilandelayo. [then you have to come back next Tuesday.] I think is something that is still happening ezindaweni ezisemaphadleni [in the rural areas] and I think that’s relevant for now and ukuba khona ka Yesterday ukube ngaba beyikhona three years back [If the movie Yesterday was made three years back] it would have made more impact it has now. {IsiZulu}

Busisiwe Maqungo: I think mina I can relate ku lento ka Leleti athi, yena she would like to see umntanake akhula ngenye imini esiya esikholweni. Then mhlambi ke angafa emveni khokho. Then it keeps people moving with the virus fully knowing that because ngokho bebesazi ukuba I virus iyabulala and izamubulala. So ngexa afuna ukubona untanake ekhulile eya esikhoilweni yiyona into imugcinile ehamba leyo. {IsiXhosa} [I think I can relate with Leleti when she says, she would like to see her child grow and go to school then maybe she can die after seeing that happen. But its keeps people moving with the virus fully knowing back then they back then they only knew that the virus can kill you. So because of her wanting to see her child grow and go to school that’s the only thing that kept her going.]

Vuyani Jacobs: uLihle uthi beyifanele ukuthi iyezwe kudala nawe uthi beyifanele iyezwe kudala. Well is reality abantu bayafa ngoku sihleli kuledawo. Because azange bawabone lama ARVs enithetha ngawo bawava apha eTV. Uyeva lento endiyishoyo. {IsiXhosa} [You both say the movie should have been made earlier. The reality is that people are dying everyday because they have never seen the ARVs you are talking about. They only hear about it on TV. You know what I mean?] But where exactly do you mean they can be found in all these areas?

Lihle Dlamini: Akhona amaARVs emakhaya. {IsiZulu} [There are ARVs in the rural areas.]

Vuyani Jacobs: Akhona phi Lihle? Kwezi ndawo abantu bakuzo, lama ARV akuzo zonke izindawo. {IsiXhosa} [But where exactly? Do you mean they can be found in all these areas?]

Lihle Dlamini: Akhona eMtuba, eShowe akhona, eNgwavuma akhona. {IsiZulu} [ARVs are available Mtuba, Showe, and Ngwavuma.]

Vuyani Jacobs: Yesterday is called Yesterday. Really yesterday? Those things are happening today. Rural areas are having problem with people accessing health, the health service is terrible even if you go you have to stand in a long queue those kind of things it is actually applicable.

Jason Wessenaar: When you looking at the current state of the epidemic right now in terms of treatment, let alone live alone the ARVs, when we talking about treatment of opportunistic infection we are talking about the accessibility of you know…..

Vuyani Jacobs: That is a documentary that you are describing.

Jason Wessenaar: No, no, no we are talking about the accessibility of clinics or things like that, I’m talking about the way in which things are portrayed in the movie are quite negative, secondly if you look at the issues of the traditional healer who do people go to when they are sick the first time, that traditional healer is portrayed negatively in that movie.

Vuyani Jacobs: You make me laugh honestly, they are negative….. those things happen Jason, what do you think that comes from.

Ricardo Moses: Vir my persoonlik, Yesterday is, hy’s te laat. Soos Prudence gesê het dit, as Yesterday in die neentigs uit gekom het, dan sal ek persoonlik miskien nie vandag gesit het met MIV nie. Dan het ek daar al gesien dis hoe lyk iemand wat MIV is, deur daai proses wil ek nie gaan nie. {Afrikaans} [For me personally, Yesterday came too late, like Prudence said, if Yesterday had been made in the nineties, then I might not have contracted HIV. I would’ve seen what someone looks like with HIV, and I wouldn’t have wanted to go through that process.]

Jason Wessenaar: Siyabonga Ricardo junior nawe Natasha, support group nani babukheli ekhaya. [Thank you Ricardo Jr, Natasha the support group and the viewers at home]. You’ve been watching Siyayinqoba the programme for everyone infected and affected with HIV and AIDS. Namuhla sifunde ukuthi kubalulekile ukubandanyisa abantu abaphila ne HIV kwi media. Izincwadi nama filimu kungaba yidlela esizayo yokufunda nokuwabelana ne HIV and AIDS. Ezinye isihlongo zezincwadi nama film kungaba hilawa Philadelphia, Khabzela, The Life and the Times of a South African, Being Positive. Siyathemba ukuthi nilujabulele uhlelo lethu lanamhlanje [Today we have learnt that it is important to involve HIV positive people within the media. Through books and films we can learn and share information about HIV/AIDS. Some books and films are Philadelphia, Khabzela: The Life and the Times of a South African, and Being Positive. Siyathemba ukuthi nilijabulele uhlelo lwanam hlanje {IsiZulu} [We hope that you have enjoyed todays’s show] and that you are feeling the Siyayinqoba spirit that together we can Beat It! If you have any questions, comments or view please contact us on info@beatit.co.za or www.beatit.co.za. Till then stay healthy and stay positive.

< previous episode | next episode >