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Episode 4 - Celebrities and HIV

In the fourth episode of the 2008 series of Siyayinqoba Beat It! There are some special guests in the studio to discuss celebrities living with HIV. HIV is indiscriminate in who it affects, and the first segment demonstrates this by dealing with the perception that celebrities are immune from contracting HIV because of their fame and privileged lives. We meet a range of inspirational celebrities, both local and international, who are using their position in the spotlight to get involved in the fight against HIV.

Shalom Ncala: (Sanibonani siyanamukela nonke ku Siyayinqoba Beat It! Uhlelo lwabantu bonke abahlangene nabanqoba izintselelo zesifo sesandulela ngculaza kanye ne ngculaza. Namhlanje sinabantu sinabanye abantu abadumile nabanohlonzo ehlelwni lethu. Sizoxhoxa ngegalelo ozaziwayo esifeni sengculaza. Ndiyanibingelelo nonke thimba elikhuthazayo.  Am sure you know uZolani no Simon from Freshly Ground. Welcome guys, it's nice to have you on our show. Sonke sibonela kosaziwayo njengamaqhawe ethu. Osaziwayo babambhe iqhaza elikhulu ekuqwashiseni n gezindaba ezithile ezivutha uphondo emphakathini wethu. Ngenxa yesithuzi abanaso emphakathini osaziwayobanganegalelo ezindabeni ezifana ne ngculaza. Udaba lwethu olulandelayo uqhamka ehlelweni lethu labaculi abafufusayo i-Idols.) [IsiZulu] Hello and welcome to Siyayinqoba Beat It! The programme for everyone meeting and beating the challenges of HIV. Today we've got some extra and fabulous people on the show and we are discussing celebrities and the impact they can have on HIV. Hello and welcome to the support group. Am sure you know Zolani no Simon from Freshly Ground. Welcome Guys, it's nice to have you on our show. We often model ourselves on celebrities. Celebrities have always played a big part in raising awareness for importantly social issues. Because of their public profile in society, celebrities can make an impact on issues such as HIV. Our story is from the well known reality show, Idols.

Marisha Lalla: Hi there dear viewers, today we are in Gamalakhe with Tender Mavundla who publicly disclosed her HIV status on Idols last year.

Tender Mavundla: Hi Siyayinqoba!

Merisha: Could you tell us about your Idols experience, the response from the audience, the reaction of fellow participants and how the experience of all this has been?

Tender: It was really cool being an Idos. I made it up to the top four. During the time I was an Idols, in the top ten, the journalists that we were working with for the publicity of the whole programme were busy telling us, guys if you have something you want to say, it's going to come out when you become famous so you'd better say it now. So I went home and I thought about it and I was like: "Ma, maybe I should tell them. What if somebody at home, or maybe these people when I go home will scout around about who we are in the community and they will find out." So I thought damn it I am going to tell them. Besides, I have medication that stays in the refrigerator; it has to stay in the refrigerator. Everyday I am in the house with 32 people; they will ask me what the hell this is. How many times am I going to say that it is flu medication? What kind of flu wants you to take pills like that everyday? I had to come up with a solid story or else I had to tell the truth. I told the truth way . That was it, nothing changed. Even though some of them were scared. They seemed a bit freaked out, especially the white ones. With white people HIV is like oh my word she id dying.

Merisha: When did you find out that you were living with HIV?

Tender: I was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 2001. I was very sick actually I think I had a bit of a cough and then I went to the hospital and they said that I've got TB. But iskathi sahamba emva kwesikathi then ngeza ekhaya ndabangcono from. (Time passed and I got better and I went home I was really better.) I took my medication for about six months and am feeling much better, TB is gone they were wrong that's the only thing I thought. Ngeze ngize ngigule mina, ngeze ngife manje am too young.( I won't get sick and I won't die) So I went back to Joburg I started partying and I partied and I partied. And I got sick again. Now only this time mase ngigula okwesibini (When I got sick for the second time). I had shingles. That's when reality hits in.  When you start to have izinto emzimbeni wakho. (I got scares). First of all I didn't finish my school. This is me now sitting and thinking? (ndihleli ngedwa. Angisiqedanga iskolo, angiwenzanga uMatric therefore angeze ngisebenze lomsebenzi engiwufunayo.) And what do I have my voice and this body. Suddenly my body is invaded by these little monster's things. So I started on the medication. Hectic, instead of thinking uzophola uzoba right it makes you worse for about three months. Worse as in you deteriorate totally. And again that was another slap in the face you know, its like wake up this is true. Ama side effects akhona they are nothing compared to what the HIV virus can do to you. So abanye abantu they stop the medication because friends are telling them look at you the thing is killing you than the actual virus and the stop. They go and take food supplements. Food suppliment, ukuba awunawo umfino udle lomfino. But ama ARVs umsebenzi wablo use (Food supplements akhona ukuthi ukubanangabe uwunawo umbhila emzimbeni udle lombhila ngecaleni which is iHIV yona itself.) Food supplements are there when you don't have certain vitamins in your body, but ARVs have it's own purpose, to work on the HIV itself .This is Kaletra, 3TC and d4T; hectic stuff. It's more like drugs, you take five of these in the morning, five in the evening and I am set. I thought maybe people should talk about it. Maybe one day you will wake up and feel it is the just the flu, you know. I can shout to my neighbor and say: "Mfethu unjani namhlanje?" (How are you today?) And they would turn and say: "Ingculaza yam iyareacting namhlanje." ( My HIV is reacting today.) You know, I would love that. I think that this is the mentality people should have, then we would all be just fine. I mean I'm just fine.

Victor Lakay: I find her quite inspirational because she encourages adherence and adherence is a big problem for us, and also she has taken to protect herself and by protecting herself she is protecting others, which is pretty much the message we are trying to send. By protecting ourselves we are able to protect others.

Busi Maqungo: Actually this is what these bangles mean in case you didn't know. This is our new campaign as Siyayinqoba we are trying to promote protect yourself protect others. So hopefully we are going to see all South Africans all over the country wearing these. Orange Siyayinqoba bangles.

Simon Attwell: I wanted to ask like in the insert she said when she disclosed nothing really happened like some people where a bit scared maybe but its not like anything changes radically. Are there people who still rejected because they disclosure in communities, how big a problem is that.

Shalom: This is one of the fundamental and the basics and why we have programmes such as Siyayinqoba. It is because there is still stigma there out there. We are here to show people that you can live with HIV. You can have a healthy life. You can get people to except your situation by simply speaking fact with them because knowledge is power.

Busi: I think you're right Shalom, for instance next year is going to be my tenth year that I have known that I have been HIV positive. The are people who have known that they are HIV positive for more than 20 years we know of Edwin Cameron the judge at the Constitutional Court we know of David Patients abantu abasephile ixesha elinde with i-HIV. But we don't want abantu abangaziwayo abanje ngo Busisiwe babengabo kuphela imizekelo. We also want nakubanye abantu because you have bigger voices. (People who have lived longer knowing they have HIV. We don't want unknowns like Busisiwe to be the only examples.) We also want other people. Famous people.

Simon: But that's the problem is that the people who are disclosing and coming out are from these communities as supposed to people who have the support structure...

Busi: Remember when Mandela had TB maybe weren't even born then that was a long time ago. He came out about it. TB then there was a very big stigma attached to TB no one wanted to come out about their TB status. But him , he tested TB positive he came out about it and it made a very big difference. Today we don't have stigma attached to TB now we have moved to HIV. We need to do something again about HIV.

Shalom: Coming back to the messaging part of it, thats the most confusing, it confuses us when it comes to messaging. That is why need celebrities to sing the very same message and everybody who is at the top to just let down and give us the right information. In terms of songs I know you sing about ama outi ethu asiphathela ingcula asibhekela phantsi izinto ezifana nezo. (Our man bring us AIDS and they don't respect us staff like that) Things like those are the most important things you can drop a line, you don't need to get payed for it, just drop a line you know drink you're ARVs that's it.

Victor: What inspired you to get involved in HIV work?

Zolani Mahola: What a question I suppose what inspired us knowing with the fact that so many people are ending up dying unnecessarily. We have to get involved or otherwise it's like watching while some genocide occurs. When you could actually be part of healing the country.

Shalom: (Ninganyakazi siyabuya manje) [IsiZulu] Stay where you are. We'll be right back.

Shalom: (Siyanamukela futhi ku Siyayinqoba Beat it! Akhe siqale ngokuya eNtshonalanga Kapa.) [IsiZulu] Welcome back to Siyayinqoba Beat It! First off, let's go to the Western Cape.

Luvuyo Nibe: (Molweni babukeli emakhaya. Igama lam ngu Luvuyo Nibe. Namhlanje sise Imizamo Yethu Location sizobona usisi Evelina Tshabalala, eyona mbaleki siyaziyo kwaye ephila nentsholongwane kagawulayo. Masambe siyokuyibona. Wena uqale nini ukubaleka, uqale nini uyo hikha ube kanti ubengulomntu unguye namhlanje.) [IsiXhosa] Hello viewers at home. My name is Luvuyo Nibe. Today we are here in Imizamo Yethu visiting Evelina Tshabalala, who is a well known runner and also living with HIV. Let's go meet her. When did you start running, hiking and become the person you are today?

Evelina Tshabalala: (Ngafika la eKapa ngo '85. Ngacala ukugijima ngo '86 irace yayise Greenpoint ndayi wina. Suka lapho ke nga selectwa yi Western Province from '86 ukuze kube manje ngigijima itrack. Ngigijima i-10km, 15km and then ne 21km, ne 42 kwimarathon. Ngenza ezizinto zentaba ngo 2005. Ngo 2006 ndaqala uku climba intaba iKilimanjaro. Halala Evelina halala. Nam ngiyajabula kakhulu nginoqhozi ukujabula kakhulu ngithokoza kakhulu ukuba ngingowokuqala eSouth Afrika owesifazana ukuzo kuphuka iKilimanjaro. Ngithi ma-Afrika amahle nakuwe baba uMadiba , I hambile inzwakazi ibuyile nodumo eSouth Afrika. Ndithi ke halala Evelina) [IsiZulu] I got to Cape Town in '85. I started running in '86, a race at Greenpoint and I won. From there I was selected for Western Province. From '86 until now, I run track. I run 10km, 15km, 21km and 42km in the marathon. I started climbing mountains in 2005.In 2006 I reached the top of Kilimanjaro. Well done Evelina, well done. I'm very happy and proud to be the first black woman from South Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. To all the South Africans and to you Madiba, I went away and I've come back with glory to South Africa. I say well done, well done Evelina.

Vuyo: (Umntu once azazi ukuthi uHIV positive and kukho iAIDS esondelayo kuye uye azichingele nanini na angafa nangomso. Yintoni that keeps you motivated ukuba mawuvuke uphangele uyo trainer? ) [IsiXhosa] We know that once a person finds out they are HIV positive and closer to getting AIDS, they tend to think they will die anytime soon. What keeps you motivated to wake up , go to work and to train?

Evelina: (Uyabona wonke umntu bakayo testa ubanecala lokuba ukuba iresults zam zophuma zisithini. Kodwa mina ngazitsela ukuba ngiya ngithi okay obengabe ngi HIV positive zayamkela ngiqhubekeke nempilo and angekhe ngibulawe yiHIV/AIDS. Ngivuka ekuseni ngi exercise ngidle kahle ngibe positive ) [IsiZulu] Everyone who goes to test is nervous about the results. I told myself that if I'm HIV positive, I'll accept it and go on with my life. I won't let HIV/AIDS kill me. I wake up each morning and remain positive.

Vuyo: Evelina iARVs uyazisebenzisa zona? [IsiXhosa] Evelina, do you use ARV's?

Evelina: (Yebo ngiyazisebenzisa. Nakwabo bahla iARVs mabazidle ngesikathi esifaneleyo and balalele umgaqo abatselwa yona ukuba mabazidle ngesikhathi siphi ukuba kuthiwa ngu 7 mayibe ngu 7. Mangabe ngu 8 makube ngu 8. And then wenze sure ukuthi uzithatha ngesosikhathi. And udle healthy, udle iveg, udle ifruit especially izinto ezigreen.) [IsiZulu] Yes I do. To those on ARV's, they should adhere and take at its prescribed times. If it's at 7, then drink it at 7. If it's at 8, then drink it at 8. Then make sure you drink it at the same time everyday. Eat healthy by eating vegetables and fruit, especially greens

Vuyo: (Njengana silapha nje singabakwa Siyayinqoba Beat It! Iprogramme akwa SABC 1. Kuko abantu abahlukeneyo abadala, abancinane abantu abaninzi bayayi bukela wena?) [IsiXhosa] We're from Siyayinqoba Beat It! A programme on SABC 1. There are many different types of people who watch it, do?

Evelina: (Iyoo yabona ke leyoke nga nginga phoswa kuthi noba ngihambile ngiyogijima ngenze sure ukuthi uthi ebetha u1 ithi iqala laprogramme ngibe ngihleli embedini yam nguyidlela ifruit yam ngibukele uSiyayinqoba.) [isiZulu] I never missed it. Even when I went running, I made sure that by 1pm when the programme started, I was in bed eating my fruit and watching Siyayinqoba.

Shalom: If people like Evelina can show us the way and say: "Fine I found out that I am, and I was a sports lady before and I am still continuing in this very same thing. "What is stopping other people from doing that? It worries me because it becomes shocking thing to people. It's meant to seem if you're HIV positive so be it there is nothing that we can do for you (ayisekho indaba yakho). We are not going to say anything about you, you are going to stay in your closet and you are going to die.

Simon: It is amazing that she has climbed Kilimanjaro; it's amazing that she is running marathons but the point is that is shouldn't be amazing. It shouldn't be remarkable I mean anyone living with HIV can get on to ARVs and live a normal healthy life for many, many years. And it shouldn't be remarkable it should be just another person running and just another person climbing a mountain which in a sense it is.

Busi: (Sifuna o-Evelina abaninzi abathi we are doing something kwi communities zethu as amantu abadumileyo about lombulalazwe okanye lento sele idumile i-H IV.Sifuna o-Evelina abaninzi abangosaziwayo abazobukela u-Siyayinqoba Beat It!) [IsiXhosa] We want more celebrities like Evelina to come out and say we're doing something in our communities about the killer disease HIV. We want more celebrities to watch Siyayinqoba Beat t !

Zolani: (Hayi sizakumbukela ngoku. Kufuneka sithenge i-TV.) [IsiXhosa] I watch it. I just have to nbuy a TV.

Simphiwe Ngongoshe: (Anicabangi ukuthi ama-celebrities uma ezaku testa in public mhlambe ngekhe lanto ibangele nabanye bangazifihli.) [IsiZulu] If celebrities could test in public, maybe that would motivate others to do the same.

Zolani: It was World AIDS Day when people phoned in it was a series of vote. We went for testing it was completely voluntary. Obviously it was not disclose what are status was

Simon: That was voluntary

Shalom: But its an entry point because it's encouraging people for a test. If people see that uZolani goes for the test its a definite must I'm going to do it. I look up to her.

Simon: We are going to be doing that soon the Desmond Tutu Foundation will be launching the Tutu Tester, which is a van that will be driving around offering immediate counsellings and testing. And we going to be going and having our HIV test done there in Gugulethu. But the more people talk it about in the public field like you know and the more the people are tested and the less of an issue that it becomes and that will filter down. And the less issue it will became for other people with communities to talk about it and go and be tested.

Shalom: (Ninganyakazi siyabuya khona manje) [IsiZulu] Stay where you are. We'll be right back.

Shalom: (Siyakwamkela futhi ku Siyayinqoba Beat It!. Sisachocha ngosaziwayo negalelo labo esifenis enculaza. Aka sibone ukuthi usaziwayo emhlabeni wonke jikelele usele yenzeleni iNigizim- Afrika mayelana nesi sifo.) [IsiZulu] Welcome back to Siyayinqoba Beat It! We're talking about celebrities and the impact they can have on HIV. Let's take a look at what an international celebrity has done for HIV in South Africa.

Themba Baleni: (Molweni babukeli emakhaya. Igama lam ndingu Themba Baleni. Lona ngu Annie Lennox enye yemvumi ezidume kakhulu ekulweni udabi lukagawulayo. Kwaye mna ndingomnye wabantu abathe banetlahla loku recorda naye.) [IsiXhosa] Hello viewers, I'm Themba Baleni. This is Annie Lennox one of the well known musicians in the fight against HIV/AIDS. I was fortunate enough to have a chance to record with her.

Voice over: (This is a call for the national implementation of Mother to Child Transmission Prevention Programme in all the maternity hospitals in South Africa the song is I-AZT SIYAYAZI JIKELELE)

Annie Lennox: I'm going to meet " The Generics". We're in a sound studio in Cape Town. We've actually managed to get everybody together and we're going to record. Today I had a beautiful experience because I invited " The Generics" to come to the studio and sing with me. They wrote a song called "Jikelele"which advocates for global treatment. They wrote the song seven years ago and one of the members explained to me that two of her babies have been saved because of the Nevirapine programme. This is wonderful because without treatment she and her babies wouldn't be here today. So let's get clear about this message: we need treatment, it's here, you and get access to it but you must find out your status. I'm a musician, an artist and a mother and I feel really strongly about the HIV situation, especially the pandemic that's spreading across Africa. And here in South Africa where you have the highest instance of HIV/AIDS I feel the situation hasn't been properly responded to. So I want to use my music, especially to represent women, in partnership with women to break through some of the stigma, to encourage people to be tested for their status. And to seek out treatment because lives can be saved through treatment. And this message needs to be made very clear. If it was happening in Europe and the UK, you would be at a stand-still, an emergency stand still. It really needs to be faced. As a woman, as a mother and as someone who has a voice, I want to enable those people who don't have means to spread the message to others to say this is not acceptable. We really need to do something. Lets not stick our heads in the sand like ostriches, lets bring it out, bring on and do something.

Busi: Actually Annie mentioned had this been happening in the Europe it would have been taken as something big you know it would have been declared as a disaster. But its happening in Africa.

Busi: And our people ain't doing much about it .

Simon: If we are going to have a public message a public platform. If its going to be a song or something that Zolani says every time what is it going to be? What is the message that really needs to get out there?

Victor: I mean prevention is key and we need to make sure that in our message we want everyone to have excess to medication to ARVs . So we have to talk to people about protecting themselves more. That's my idea.

Zolani: I agree with you, I think that protection is a huge part of it. You kind of mentioned before we have a song called Zithande. And zithande means love yourself. And I think that's quiet a key think in terms of prevention and taking care of not only yourself but taking care of other people. And I think during elaxesha le aparheid a lot of people where let to believe they were not important, they are not worth anything there's a huge amount of generation of people who still have that low self esteem yoba andibalulekanga or it doesn't matter what happens to me or whatever. I think in this time we need to pick ourself up so that is what am trying to get to is Zithande to love yourself. Love yourself enough to protect yourself and love enough to protect other people.

Shalom: (Osaziwayo abaningi bayazama ukwenza umehluko kudaba le ngculaza kodwa baningi abangathi vu ngoludaba. U-Siyayinqoba uthi osaziwayo kufuneka malusukumele loludaba bakhulume ulwimi olulodwa noma bacule ingoma eyodwa kusukela kowesilisa nowesifazane osemgaqweni kuze kuyo fika kubaholi bakarulumente. Umasiqhoka lama bangle sibonisa ukuthi siyavikela futhi silawula izimpilo zethu. Nawe zivikele uvikele nabanye. Protect yourself protect others. Siphuma ngengoma entsha ka Annie Lennox yijabulele kuze kube ngokuzayo bye ) [IsiZulu] Some celebrities are trying to make a difference to HIV, but many don't say a thing. Siyayinqoba says that celebrities need to take a stand on HIV and try to get everyone singing the same song, from the man and woman on the street to our leaders in government. These bangles show that we are protecting ourselves and protecting others. You can also protect yourself and others. We'll be playing out with a new song by Annie Lennox. Enjoy! Tune in again next week. Bye.