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Siyayinqoba Beat It! Episode 16 -

Faith-based communities

In this episode of Siyayinqoba Beat It! 2006 we look at faith based communities and HIV. Some churches, such as the JL Zwane Church, are doing a great deal to support and care for members of their congregation who are living with HIV, we also look at churches, like the Universal Church, who are promoting the idea that HIV can be cured through prayer.

Shalom Ncala: Molweni siyani amukela kuSiyayingoba Beat It! support group. Igama lama ngingu Shalom Ncala. Ku Beat It! support Group sonke siphila kahle negciwane le-HIV. Sanibonani nonke ninjani kodwa namhlanje, ngijabula ukunibona futhi. Njalo ngeviki siyahlangana sixoxe ngezinkinga ezitinta ukuphila kwethu, kungaba hamanzi nokuchitha indle noma ukuqala ama-ARVs. uSiyayinqoba nguhlelo lwakho lokhu phila ngancono nge-HIV. Uma uphila negciwane le-HIV, noma unesithandwa, yilunga lomdeni noma umngani onegciwane le-HIV uSiyayinqoba ngowako. Namhlanje sixoxa ngokholo negciwane le-HIV. Amanye amasonto enza umusebenzi omukhulu wokusekhela nokunakekela amalungo awo aphila ne-HIV. Kodwa amanye amasonto asakaza umubono wokuthi i-HIV ingalapheka ngomthandazo nje. {IsiZulu} [Hello and welcome to the Siyayinqoba Beat It! support group. My name is Shalom Ncala. In Beat It! support group, we are all living positive with HIV. Welcome everybody. Each week, we get together to discuss issues that affect our lives, from water and sanitation to starting ARVs. Siyayinqoba is your guide to better living with HIV. If you are living with HIV, or you have a partner, a family member or friend who is HIV positive, Siyayinqoba is for you! Today we are talking about faith based communities and HIV. Some churches are doing a great deal to support and care for members of their congregation who are living with HIV. But others are promoting the idea that HIV can be cured through prayer.]

QUESTION: Ingaba umthandazo ingayinyanga i-HIV yami? {IsiXhosa} Can HIV be cured through prayer?

Shalom Ncala: Abantu abaningi abaphila negciwane le-HIV bayasaba futhi bakathezeke kakhulu kangangokuba baze bakholwele kuloku okuthiwa yikambi. Igozi yikuthi bayakhohlwa ngezinto ezibagcina ba namandla futhi bephilile, njenge mithi, nokudla okunomsoxo nendlela ephile kahle. Lapha sixoxa nomama uZethu Xaphile ovela eJL Zwane church. Sawuboba mama Zethu. Inkqembu leSiyayinqoba lehlangane no Nomqhophiso Sithengile wase Gugulethu. Owashisthela eJL Zwane church. Lapho isonto lake lingamu amukeli. Makesibone. {IsiZulu} [Many people living with HIV are frightened and worried enough to put all their faith in this so-called ‘cure’. The danger is that, they forget about the things that keep them strong and healthy like medication, nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Here to discuss this with us Mama Zethu Xaphile, from JL Zwane church. The Siyayinqoba team met with Nomqhophiso Sitengile from Gugulethu, who moved to JL Zwane church, when her church at the time would not accept her. Let’s take a look.]

Gugulethu, Western Cape: How is your church dealing with your HIV status?

Nomqhophiso Sitengile: Ingama lami ndingu Nomqhophiso Sitengile Umagaba isidukho ndihlala apha eNY1 enumber 131. Andazi na ndizawuthi mhlambi uthixo ifikile kum’ namhlanje ukuba intliziyo mayiphile ndikwazi ukuzoma apha phakwati kwenu, ngokolwo lukabawo ndizacela nimekunye nami ngoba ke ngamahlesha anje ubathakathaka uthixo nxawumuthembile zonke izinto zinokuhamba kakuhle. Ndi, ngokufutshane ndiphila naletshologwane for ixesha ingangominyaka elithoba and ndiyamubonga uthixo ngalamhla, ukuba ndikwazi ukuphakama ndizoma apha. Idonga lecawe ludlwa ngelinye ixesha lizisithe ezinye izinto ezininsi ekufanele intokubane ziyeziwe nezithethekileyo. Kanti ikhonzo inguhumzimba womntu iyamusikelela umntu uthixo nxayekubona ukuthi uhlambukile ngase mulonyeni nokusem’phefumeleni, ukholo unalo uyayicela imphilo ukuba uthixo akunike. Kwicawe zethu esizihambayo they don’t talk about HIV and ufumanise nokubana kukho icokho idibane with HIV or whatever into edibane neHIV they don’t want to touch there. Because when you are living positively ayikho enye into ebangela omunye umntu akunjongela phansi ingathi ugula uzawufa ngoku. You are not going to die know. IJ.L Zwane ideal yayo ne HIV ndizawuthi mina basicenda kakhulu because phayane emotionally upha right spiritually you feel good and sometimes ufumanise intobana you finf friends also there. {IsiXhosa} I am Nomqhophiso Sitengile from NY1 number 131. Today God has given me the courage to stand in front of you. So in His name, I will ask for your support because in such times one tends to be weak but if you have faith in God, things work out in the end. Briefly, I have been living with HIV for about nine years. I thank God today that I am able to stand here. The walls of the church tend to prevent many things that should be said and done. Your body is a temple and so God will bless the person who repents physically and spiritually and shows faith in His work. You can ask for life and God will provide. Some of our churches don’t talk about HIV. And you find that whenever there is a matter or an issue that is related to HIV, they don’t want even to touch them, because when you are living positively, there is no reason for people to look at you as if you are about to die. You are not going to die now. The way in which JL Zwane deals with HIV has helped us a lot, because emotionally you are right, spiritually you feel good and sometimes you find friends also there.

Zethu Xaphile, JL Zwane Church: Saqala ken go 1999 njongoba singishelo, ikhonzo yethu sayiyenza ukuba ibe-focused ku-community Now, emvakhoko kwabakho i-epidemic ye-HIV and AIDS. [We started in 1989. Our service is designed to focus on the community. Then came the HIV/AIDS epidemic.] And we were losing members of the congregation in great numbers. And, as a church, we could not just keep quiet, we must do something. We opened our doors icango zecawe, zavulwa savulela abantu abaphila netshologwane yeHIV uma mabeze basosho ukuba yintoni abanoyenzele, yintoni abanocedwa ngayo like spiritual support, isupport ngalapha emekhaya nalapha ukuhlalweni. Most of them I problem yobo yinto baya discriminatwa emakhaya, nasezikozweni nesukuhlalweni. Saqala ke emva kuthethwa nge HIV ecaweni. Saqala i-support group because sabona yintokuba after abantu badisclosile i-status sabo they will need some support system. Sathetha nalento yokuthi we will go back and relook. Kwindaba yekhozo yokuba sikwemukele kangakanani na kwikhozo, ziyivule kangakanani iminyango kwabantu abaphila ne tshologwane ya HIV. {IsiXhosa} [We opened our doors to people living with HIV so that they could come and state what they’d like us to do for them, like spiritual support, support at home and in the community. Most of them were facing discrimination at home, in congregations and in the community. After starting to talk about HIV in church, we began a support group because we realised that after people disclosed their status they will need some support system. We said that we will go back and review how well we are accepted in our congregations as people living with HIV.]

Middle-aged man: Ngelinye ixesha icawe akusoba aziyazi ukuba zingakwazi ukuba zikuncede njani na? Abanoyo I information epheleleyo malunga no muntu o-HIV positive {IsiXhosa} [In some cases, the churches don’t know how to help. They lack the relevant information for the HIV positive person.]

Zethu Xaphile: Kwi support group sethu [In our support group,] we have professional nurses, we have a medical doctor, we have social workers and we have nomfundisi [a minister.] So ngolohlobo siyenza ngalo siyenzela ukuba umntu simujonge holistically. {IsiXhosa} [These are the measures we take in order to look at the person holistically.]

Support group

Shalom Ncala: Mama Zethu okokuqala ngithanda ukubonga isonto lakho liyelathatha iHIV ngakhona. Uyazi ukuthi kunzima khanjani emesontweni wethu, isonto lithanda ukufihla indaba ye HIV.I for coming from a church okuvumelekile yonke into i-right when it comes to isupport kwi HIV kodwa akukho lexoxo engiyibone eyenzakala kwi insert about i-HIV. I total openness ayikho and which leads me to i-question. {IsiXhosa} [Mama Zethu, firstly I would like to thank you for the way your church has handled the issue of HIV because we know how difficult it can be. Churches tend to side-step the issue of HIV. I for one coming from a church where everything is accepted when it comes to support and HIV, but we don’t have any discussions like we saw in the insert. There is no openness, which leads to my question,] how does your church view physical healing compared to spiritual healing? How do you differentiate between the two?

Zethu Xaphile: There is a big difference between physical healing and spiritual healing. Spiritual healing, you can go to church, and if you get the correct support, you can actually say that you’ve been ndi-spiritually healed kodwa awukwazi ukuthi ndi-physically healed. Because leyento izoba yi-issue uthi wena awusekho HIV positive and ke siyikhonzo asikwazi ukuyiyenza leyento. {Isixhosa} [spiritually healed, but you can’t say that you are physically healed, because you’d be implying that you are no longer HIV positive and as a church we cannot do that].

Thami Mthembu: Mama kule insert besiyibuka [Mama, in the insert you spoke] about having a holistically approach towards your support groups by saying ukuthi {IsiZulu} [that] you don’t only have reverent or pastor also you have strategically put a nurse, a doctor, Yini ibhangelo, yini eyenza ucabange ukuthi kuzondingakala kube khona umuntu onjengo nurse, dokotela kule support group {IsiZulu} [what I would like to know is what made you think that you would need such people, in your support group?]

Zethu Xaphile: Nxa wuphila ne HIV zikhona izinto ezikukhathazayo emoyeni, apho uzoneeder icounselling khona, kwakhona uyagula ube ne headace nani, abanye thole iTB leyo yona izaneeder inures ineeder nogqirha. Nakhona if you need some spiritually counselling uzo needer umfundiso. So umuntu owendwa can not do all those things. {IsiXhosa} [When you live with HIV there are issues that trouble you emotionally where you would need counseling. You may have headaches or TB, then you would need a nurse or a doctor. If you need spiritual counselling, you will need a priest. One person cannot do all those things.]

Thami Mthembu: I really want to commend your congregation for the work you are doing sithola ukuthi amasonto amaningi and okhokuqala they are (IsiZulu) [because many churches are] not so open about HIV and about issues surrounding HIV and is such a good thing ukuthi {IsiZulu} [that] within the congregation itself they are people who are professional within those sectors, they are there to give information ready.

Nokhwezi Hoboyi : Icawe izininsi masijongile namhlanje the minute ivela iyintombazane umuncinci engangami, ndivela ndifika kuwe ndithi Mama mfundisi or Mfundisi ndiyagula ndinale HIV into indizoyibuza kuqala hukuthi wenze ntoni, Ubone ngantoni uthixo. Icawe azininsi zenza lento zithi kungakhulu mawuyintombazane, uthi nxa wufika icaweni ibaxelele ukuba uyagula kuthi icancisa ulale namakwenkwe, lento yinto eyenza abantu babhekele ecaweni, so uyabona makhungavela icawe ezininsi ezifana neJL Zwane ezibakwemukelayo abantu umuntu angathi afikile nifike nimuqwaye.{IsiXhosa} [When you approach a church as a young person such as myself, and reveal your HIV status to a priest, their first question would be how did you sin against God? Many churches do the same. They’re judgmental, especially towards girls. If you go to church and say you have HIV, they tell you that you’ve been sleeping around. That is what makes people take a step back. We need more churches like JL Zwane that accept people and do not judge us when we go to church.]

Vuyani Jacobs: Sukuya kuloyo cawe. {IsiXhosa} [Don’t go to those churches,] let me give you an example.

Busisiwe Maqungo: Yicawe yakhe , uthi ayishiye? {IsiXhosa} [Are you saying she should leave her church?]

Vuyani Jacobs: Ewe, makayishiye? {IsiXhosa)} [Yes, she must leave that church!]

Nokhwezi Hoboyi: Ndiyayishiya, ukuba ndiyayishiya Vuyani, bazofundiswa ngubani ababanye. Ngubani ozoba ncenda. Andithi kutwa andinokunikuqula nonke, ngexesha ilinye. Njengoba ndihleli kule cawe yami ukuthi abakholwela ukuthi iGculaza ikhona, ndala lendawo yokuthi mandiyishiye ikhonzo yami uyayibona. Wena ungomnye umuntu ungabona funeka ndiyishiyile. [If I leave the church, who will guide the other people? Who is going to help them? I know that I cannot change all of them at once. Although there are people in my church who don’t believe that HIV exists, I’m against you saying that I must leave my church. In your opinion, you may find it better for me to leave.]

Vuyani Jacobs: Abantu abane khonzo izingadibani nephilo abayiphilayo ngale ngxaki banazo bazishiye bayekulezinazo ithixo ukhona kwenye ikhonzo. B(IsiXhosa) [People who attend churches that oppose their lifestyles and the issues they face must leave those churches. There is God in other churches too.] Because the church as you say is the ministry and that what the church is suppose to do, so that I should believe in God and I believe that I did not get HIV because I have sinned. If the church say that to us that church is not suppose to be supported by people who wants to be closer to God.

Shalom Ncala: Njengomuntu othanda isonto lami, umangibana amanye amasonto ayenza izinto ezifana nalezi okwami yikuthi ngithathe umzekhelo ngihambe ngiyo duplicator ngiyoyiyenza esontweni lami. Lento lena izohlangana, hayi ukuthi ixoshe abantu emasontweni abo ayobungamela amanye amasonto so let try and cultivate i-culture within every church yokuthi kube ne….(IsiZulu) [As a person who loves her church, when I see other churches doing something, I will take it and do the same in my church. That can make a difference, instead of chasing people away from their churches. So, let’s try and cultivate a culture within each and every church.]

Vuyani Jacobs: But now that happens with someone strong like you. Now I’m talking about someone who’s weak, someone who needs counselling, someone who needs support and that person is the one who comes to church, and then that church is not giving it. Then you have to go somewhere else. Because you know what is the worst time abantu babhubha nge-HIV? babhubha ku-denail babhubha in pain, uyanqonda, kodwa mabafumana i-counselling and (IsiXhosa) [people die of HIV? It’s when there is denial and pain, but if they get counselling and] other things, they get better.

Nokhwezi Hoboyi: Lento enqgiba ukuthethwa nguShalom, ndiyayithanda ikhonzo yami andifuni ukuxoka. Ndikulele icaweni. Icawe ne cawe iyashintsha zikhona izinto ezi-introdusiwayo icaweni ekuhambeni kweminyaka, uyayibona. So nam ndinethemba lokhuthi kungekudala kungade kustshone abantu abaninzi inguquko izovela zeziphi indlela mayi amukele ukuthi HIV is there. [To add to what Shalom has just said, I also love my church. I grew up in that church. But over time, churches change and new things are introduced. I hope that before more people die there will be change. They must accept HIV is there.] It’s a reality within the church, within our communities. Nxa ndizabashiya ecaweni ndibayeke bazosala abantu babhubha babangaphi? {IsiZulu} If I leave my church, then how many more are going to die?

Vuyani Jacobs: You have to leave that Church!

Nokhwezi Hoboyi: No Vuyani, no! It’s not a matter of leaving.

Fanie de Villiers: That’s running away.

Thami Mthembu: You’re being silly man.

Lihle Dlamini: It’s not a matter of leaving the church.

Nokhwezi Hoboyi: It’s a matter of going to the leaders and making them understand.

Vuyani Jacobs: Can I say something?

Lihle Dlamini: It’s a matter of going somewhere where you can get help and information and taking it back and bringing it back. It’s like saying if your family does not believe in HIV you should leave your family and go and live somewhere else. No, you have to go somewhere and get information, come back and teach them about HIV.

Thami Mthembu: What’s more important to me is we start challenging these practices, that we start going to these churches and start trying to get change within the church, because saying that people shouldn’t go to those churches, it’s blowing off steam Vuyani. People will go.

Shalom Ncala: Uma sibuya emakethe sizokhuluma futhi ngekholo ne HIV. Unganuakazi. {IsiZulu} [We talk more about religion and HIV after the break. Don’t go away.]

Shalom Ncala: Siyani amukela kuSiyayinqoba Beat it! support group. Uhlolo babonke abanegciwane le-HIV, naba nezihlobo izinalo. Namuhla sikhuluma ngokholo nangendima yesonto ekulweni ne-HIV. Manje sizobona ukuthi i-Universal church ibheka kanjani lendaba. Sihlangane nomfundisi omkulu uFrank ovela e-Johannesburg, okhulume nathi ngokuthi isonto likhubheka kanjani ukwelashwa hokholo ne HIV. {IsiZulu} [Welcome back to the Siyayinqoba Beat It! support group. The programme for everyone infected and affected by HIV. Today we are talking about faith and the role of the church in fighting HIV. Our next insert looks at the approach of the Universal church. We met with senior pastor, Frank in Johannesburg, who talked to us about how the church sees faith, healing and HIV.]

Can HIV really be cured through prayer?

Preacher: Heal them now. You can, you can Lord. You can you can! Remove whatever suffering this person; man and woman, is going through right now.

Pastor Frank Rathebe: The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God is a Christian Church, and it was formed more than 26 years ago, overseas, to be particular in Brazil.

Preacher: Jesus can heal you, because he is our healer. Amen!

Pastor Frank Rathebe, Universal Church: Prayer can heal. When we pray, we voice our heart, we express our faith. And it is written that everything is possible to him that believes. The bible says, ‘Ask and you shall receive’. No exceptions. ‘Whatever you ask for in prayer, in my name, I will give to you.’ This is the promise that God made. Umasicela ngokholo unkulunkulu uyasiphedula, khonke kuyayenzeka kumuntu ophilayo, ngiya kholwa ukuthi yebo umthandazo uyayiphilisa ingculaza. {IsiZulu} [If we ask in faith, God answers us. All is possible to a living person. So yes, I do believe that prayer does cure AIDS.]

Bulelwa Bija: Namni ndandisiya ukuba i-friend yami isithi i-HIV positive, so ithe isakuya eUniversal yabekhela isandla yayo testa zabuya i-results zathi u-HIV negative. So ndangconda ukuba nami mandiye ndiyozivela, nyani ndaya nami e-Universal ndabekhelwa isandla. Wathi umfundisi mandiyo testa Monday. Bathi bayayinyanga i-HIV ngokokubekela kwabo isandla nxabethetha. Nxabekubekele isandla i-HIV iyaphela. Bendinalo ithemba lokuba nyani uthe esithi naye ehamba pha zabuya i-result esithi u-negative ndangconda nami nxandiye ndisiya pha nyani ndibe nethemba zizabuya zithi HIV negative. {IsiXhosa} [I went because a friend of mine who was HIV positive went to Universal, they laid hands on her and the HIV results came back negative, so I thought I’d go and see for myself. I went and they laid hands on me. Then the pastor told me to go and test. They say that they can cure HIV by putting a hand on you. Once they put a hand on you, your HIV is cured. I hoped that because her results came back negative, that my results would also be HIV negative.]

Pastor Frank Rathebe: In our church we do allow people to testify, saying that they were healed from HIV, but, we ask them to bring a proof. To go not to one doctor, but to many doctors, as many doctors as they can afford to go to. Then when they bring the proof from the first doctor, the second, the third, the fourth, here are the proofs, ‘I am negative’. Then we allow them to come on the altar of the church and testify, because here is the proof, the medical proof.

Nurse: There is the patient side, and it shows that you are positive, okay. It shows that you are still positive.

Bulelwa Bija: Ayikho lento ithethwa kuleya cawe and andisho unobana iyenke icawe igcondayo ukuba iyakuphilisa, ewe icaweni siyela ukholo ne not ukuba kuthiwe isifo siyathandazwela ubekweisandla iphele i-HIV. {IsiXhosa} [It’s a lie. I’m not saying that people should leave their churches. We go to church because of faith, not because people say that diseases like HIV are cured by prayer.]

Pastor Frank Rathebe: I for one believe that God is able to heal any sickness, including HIV.

Bulelwa Bija: Kubantu abaphila ne HIV abanekholwelo yokuva ngabantu ukuba uthi usahamba pha inyangeke i-HIV. Ndiyaba kuthaza ukuba ewe maka hambe umuntu ayekhozweni but maka ngabi nalo elakholo iyanyangwa i-HIV, ayinyangeki i-HIV. {IsiXhosa} [To people with HIV who believe that if you go to that church you’ll be healed, I encourage them to church, but they shouldn’t believe that HIV is curable, because it’s not.]

Support group

Shalom Ncala: Ayikho into engicasula nalento engicenda ukuyibona. [Nothing upsets me more that what I’ve just seen.] Particularly, because I for one, ngangi ngumuntu bekagula ngihamba ngiya esontweni since well ngingumuntu ukhulele esontweni esontweni lakithi. Into beyiyenzeka kimi yikuthi bengibuyiselwa kumfundisi angithandazela asho kodwa kimi, asho ekhaya fanele bangibuyisele kudokotela, mengifika kudokotela kuzo fika kuxaxe ukuthi kahle kahle kwenzakala ini na? So ngamandla womuthandazo udokotela uyakhona ukuthi abone ukuthi kwezakalani. Nginaleyo proof leyo mina. I’m living proof of that. So in as much umuntu azokutshela ukuthi uhambe uyo testa kayi 10 or 20 do you how painfull it is for the first time you are told you are positive the next thing umuntu azokutshela ukuthi you have to over and over again and finding out ukuthi ngephela ngephela ikhona lento kanti. {IsiZulu} [I used to be sick and I liked going to church. I grew up going to church. My parents would take me to the priest and he would pray for me and if necessary would suggest that I visit the doctor and that’s how we found out what was wrong with me. So through prayer, the doctor was able to diagnose me. That is the proof that I have. Even though people will tell you to go and test 10 or 20 times. Do you know how painful it is for the first time around to find out that you’re positive? Then someone tells you that you have to go over and over again, and finding out over and over again that truly, you are infected.

Vuyani Jacobs: Leyonto ithetha ukuthi uyavumelana nami ukuba abantu mabaphume kuzikhonzo ezinjalo? {siXhosa}[So you agree with me when I say that people must leave these churches?]

Shalom Ncala: Angivumelani nabo ukuthi abantu mabaphume kwesikhonzo ezinje, mina ngithi makube nabantu abazoya ezikhozweni ezinje bakwazi ukufundisa abantu ukuthi {IsiZulu} [I don’t agree with that, but what I am saying is there should be people who go to these churches and educate people about HIV,] ‘No, this is not how HIV is.] HIV needs your prayer but it needs also scientifically proven Anti-retrovirals to actually work through and treat HIV.’

Busisiwe Maqungo: Abantu badlala ngevhakalelo ne-despiration zabantu. Now that I scare ndine-HIV bazadlala ngalento leyo ba-target ezi-group zi affected kakhulu yigculaza, zi affected kakhulu yimusebenzi. {IsiXhosa} People are preying on others’ emotions and desperations. Because I have HIV, they will use it as a hold over me. They are targeting the groups that are mostly affected by HIV and unemployment.

Fanie de Villiers: What about this situation at… we now by saying, okay I’m not agreeing with the statement that the Universal church is making, but aren’t we now completely saying but listen ‘God, sorry, you can’t cure’. I think we need to be clear on this. God’s will is God’s will.

Busisiwe Maqungo: I, you saying God can’t cure?

Fanie de Villiers: No, I’m not saying that? I’m asking if we are saying that or are we saying that?

Busisiwe Maqungo: Mna Fanie I believe, especially with HIV. Okukuqala masiyazi ukuba i-HIV ihlala egazini, i-HIV iphila ngaphakathi kwe-CD4 cell. Icawe azingeni phakathi kwegazini lethu, alingeni kwiCD4 count cells zethu apho iphila khona i-HIV apho i-attached. Icawe umsebenzi wazo wona wazo is to heal imuphefhumulo yethu okanye izi-spirit zethu. [Firstly, we must know HIV lives in the blood, in our CD4 cells. Churches cannot enter our blood and CD4 cells where HIV lives, where it is attached. The church’s role is to heal us spiritually.] It has absolutely nothing to do with what is inside my CD4 cell count, engasoze isunke because isegazini lam. {IsiXhosa} [which is in my blood and will never go away.

Vuyani Jacobs: We’re not discussing God here at all. I will not enjoy this discussion if it was about God. But then the discussion is about the church as an institution that is influencing people in the wrong way or either in a good way and we see it in three ways, we see it in your church where there is an issue, where people believe in things that are not scientific, we see it in JL’s one where they are looking into social issues and so forth and it works for the community, we see it at the Universal Church saying and praying for someone who has HIV and testing again HIV positive and what we end up saying is that people must not believe in the churches that claim to cure HIV. There is NO CURE FOR HIV, yet. No cure at all. What we should understand at once is that people should go to the doctor, they must get counselling, and they must try to live a positive lifestyle.

Shalom Ncala: Umasibuya emakethe sizokhuluma futhi ngo kholo ne HIV. Siyabuya. {isiZulu}We talk more about religion and HIV after the break. We’ll be back.

Shalom Ncala: Re yale amuhelo mona ho Siyayinqoba Support Group. {SeSotho} [Welcome back to the Siyayinqoba Beat It! support group.] Uhlelo loba bonke abaphila negciwane le HIV naba nezihlobo elinolo. Namhlanje sifunde ukuthi ungamukholwela nanoma ngubani athi angalapha igciwane le-HIV. Alikho ikambi kodwa kunamapilisi ama-Antiretrovirals azakugcina uphila iminyaka iminingi ehambisana nokuphila kahle. Iya esontweni uzokwazi uthole ukwelashwa nokululeka nosizo. Iya isotweni kuze uthole i-support group nosizo ukuze ungayeki ukuphuza amapilisi. Kodwa ungakholwela emangeni. Njalo ngeviki sithola izincwadi eziningi ezivela kini babukeli bethu. Sicela niqubekhe ngokusibhalela nisitshele ukuthi nincabangani ngohlelo lwethu. Ningasishayela ucingo kuzinombolo ezibhalwe lapha. Siyathemba ukuthi nilujabulele le-show futhi niyawuzwa umoya weSiyayinqoba sisonke Singayinqoba. Ibanathi futhi ngeviki elizayo kusiyayinqoba Beat It! support group. Kuze kube ngaleso sikathi, hlala unephilo, hlala unomubono omuhle bye bye. {IsiZulu} The programme for everyone infected and affected by HIV. Today we have learned that you shouldn’t believe anybody claiming to cure HIV. There is no cure but there are ARVs, which when combined with positive living can keep you healthy for many, many years. Go to church for spiritual healing, guidance and help. Go to church to find a support group that can help you with being adherent. But don’t believe in false claims. Each week, re receive many letters form our viewers. Please keep them coming, we value your comments and questions. You can contact us on the numbers on your screen now. We hope that you enjoyed the show and are feeling the Siyayinqoba spirit. Together we can Beat It! Join us next week again in the Siyayinqoba Beat It! support group. Until then, stay healthy, stay positive. Goodbye.

Question: Prayer provides spiritual healing but cannot cure HIV/AIDS – Yes Or No? Names of winners on screen. Is this right? Do they have permission?

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