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Siyayinqoba Beat It! Episode 21 -

Curative claims

Siyayinqoba Beat It! 2006 this week looks at the debate around ARV treatment vs. positive living and curative claims. We look at the Manto diet of garlic, lemons and olive oil, we visit Zeblon Kholwa Gwala and look at his untested ‘miracle' Ubhejane cure, and we speak to Justice Edwin Cameron about living positively on ARVs. We are joined by Nozizwe Mandla-Routledge and Dr Trevor Majoro in studio to discuss the importance of tested medicines.

Shalom Ncala: Sanibonani siyani amukela iqenjini lesikha Siyayinqoba Beat It! support group. Ingama lami ngingu Shalom Ncala. Iqenjini lika Siyayinqoba sonke siphila kahle nge HIV. Sanibonani nonke ninjani? Ngiyani amukhela nmhlanje. USiyayinqoba huhlelo lakho lokuphila kanqcono ngeHIV. Uma uphila negciwane leHIV noma unomulingani, ilunga lomundeni noma umngani, iphila ne HIV. uSiyayinqoba ngeyakho, kulelihlelo yibheka izixoxo zokuphikisana ngukuphatheleni ngokulwatshwa ngama ARVs, uma kuqathaniswa nokuohila ukuhle nokunye okungolwatshwa. Banibhekheni ukuthi ababukeli bethu ngemibikho yokupholisa.{IsiZulu} [Hello and welcome to the Siyayinqoba Beat It! support group. My name is Shalom Ncala.] Each week in the beat It support group we meet to talk about issues that affect our lives with HIV from helpful vitamins and making sure you tell your doctor you have HIV. [In the Beat It! support group, we are all living positively with HIV. Hello to everyone and welcome to the show. Siyayinqoba is your guide to better living with HIV/AIDS. If you are living with HIV or you have a partner, a family member, or a friend who is living with HIV, Siyayinqoba is for you. In this programme, we take a look at the debate around ARV treatment vs. positive living and alternative treatments. Let’s see what our viewers have to say about curative claims.]

Question: Is there any other medication I can use instead of ARVs?

Shalom Ncala: Ngithanda uku amukela oyinyanga futhi abengu dokotela weHIV ovela eGauteng and noNkosazana Zanele Tshabalala ovela eStanderton. Asikwemukela doctor Majoro, ni njani, sijabulela ukuba nawe namhlanje , siyakwemukela sista Zanele, sijabulela ukuba nawe namhlanje. ISiyayinqoba ibheka indaba yavela ephepha bhukini kuDrum esihloko sithi I garlic ingayi pholisa yini igculaza. Lendaba iqathanisa idlela you kuphila kwa Nozipho Bengu, okholwela ukuphikisana ngakho ngo kwelapha kwegarlic, nolamula, olive oil kanye no Justice Edwin Cameron ocashule athi Iqube yokhulapha yegculaza Khumele ifanke amaARVs. Masibonene ukuthi bathini. {IsiZulu} [I’d like to welcome Dr Trevor Majoro, a traditional healer and HIV Clinician from Gauteng and Zanele Tshabalala from Standerton. Welcome Dr Majoro. Thanks for joining us today, Welcome Zanele and thanks for joining us today. Siyayinqoba looks at an article from Drum Magazine, with the heading “Can garlic really cure AIDS”. The article compares the lifestyle of Nozipho Bhengu, who believes in the controversial “garlic, lemons and olive oil” treatment, and Justice Edwin Cameron who is quoted saying “A holistic approach to the treatment of AIDS must include ARVs.” Let’s take a look at what they said.]

Pietermaritzburg, KZN, ‘Can garlic really cure AIDS?’

Narrator: In May 2005, Drum Magazine published an article entitled, ‘Can garlic really cure AIDS?’ In the article, Nozipho Bhengu and Judge Edwin Cameron spoke about different ways of dealing with HIV/AIDS. Nozipho Bhengu believed in what Drum Magazine called the ‘Manto diet’, a Judge Cameron credited his good health to antiretroviral drugs.

Ruth Bhengu: uNozipho wagula walala esibhedlela iBoksburg wayiphethe yi TB ne Pneumonia. Siphindi sakhe savuvukhala nama liver enzymes akhuphuka aba ku 600. uTina van der Maas wafika ngaleso isikhathi isibhedlela wasinikheza into yayi akhiwe nge lamula, olive oil na manzi.{IsiZulu} [Nozipho fell sick and was admitted to Boksburg Hospital. She had TB and pneumonia. Her liver swelled and her liver enzymes rose to 600. Tina van der Maas arrived at the hospital with a concoction made from lemons, olive oil and water.]

Judge Edwin Supreme Court of Appeal Judge: I have been on antiretroviral medications for almost nine years now. I’ve been on the same two-tablet, three medication combinations for more than six years. The virus is undetectable in my blood, I live a very full and healthy life. Once you have been assessed, once you are compliant, once you’re being medically monitored to make sure you are on the right combination – we must emphasise this, we mustn’t pretend that that’s easy – but once you get to that point, AIDS is more easily manageable than many, many other dread conditions.

Criselda Kananda: You cannot be on any toxic drug.

Dr Mopeli Mohale: [I’m not saying that ARVs don’t have side effects. Any medication has side effects, even Panado and Aspirin have side effects. So it’s surprising that the Minister of Health is against ARVs. We know ARVs have side effects but the whole thing is being blown out of proportion, as a matter of fact. There is no side effect stronger than the disease itself.] {Sesotho}

Ruth Bhengu: Umathina masingazi kuthi uNozipho une i-problem yesibindi ngabe saminikheza amaARVs, okuzameza asheshe ashone kunalesikhathi washona ngaso Kodwa ngoba a testwa amaARVs, kwatholakhala uNozipho une problem yeliver amaliver enzymes akhe aya nyuka uma athatha amaARVs. So wakwazi ukuwayekiswa wakwazi ukuzi sustainer wafika lesikhathi lesi afika kusona.{IsiZulu} [If we didn’t know that Nozipho had a problem with her liver, we would have given her ARVs, and she would have died earlier than she did, but it was found that ARVs would further complicate her liver problem, her liver enzymes went up when she started taking ARVs. She stopped taking them, and she was able to sustain herself until her time came.]

Edwin Cameron: Our leaders are not telling us from the top, inclusively in one voice, ‘This is an epidemic you do not need to fear. It’s an epidemic that we can deal with through hope and through constructive action’.

Support group

Shalom Ncala: Bengithanda uku amukhela uDeputy Minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge. Sawobana ma, ni njani namhlanje, siyakwamukela. {IsiXhosa} [I would like to welcome Deputy Minister Nozizwe Madlala – Rouledge. Hello and how are you today? Welcome to our programme.]

Busi Maqungo: Umama kaNozipho besumumemele phaya uqaphezekhe ukuba uNozipho bakangeni kwi ARVs but waba nengxaki yesibindi njengoba usisho bekha nama enzymes amaningi anyanzeleka ukuthi makha khuthswe, Ingaba ngenxa yezitno umuntu bakakhuthswe kwi Anti-retrovirals because yena akakwazi ukumelana nazo,ipakhone enye idlela umntu kweziyo ngaye but still aba ku ARVs because kunde kuzobangoku into esiyaziyo ekwazi ukucontrla iHIV kusezi Anti-retrovirals, asikabi nayo enye, nxa singasebenzi iAnti-retrovirals at least do this. {IsiXhosa} [Nozipho’s mother said Nozipho was on ARVs, but developed liver problems and had to stop taking them. Is a person completely taken off ARVs because of such reasons? Or is there some other way that works without stopping ARVs? Because the only things we know of, that can control HIV, are ARVs. We have nothing else to use if ARVs don’t work.]

Dr Trevor Majoro: Asilona iqiniso umangabe umuntu a-developer i-problem yesibindi noma i-liver toxicity ufanele angasaphinde athole amaARVs, I think lento leyo it brings us back abantu fanele ba-trainer well ukuthi bamanger i-HIV. Uzobana ukuthi ikhina lento abayibiza ukuthi yo treatment failure. I treatment failure can mean umuntu akakhoni ukuthi asuppresse i-replication ye-virus. I treatment failure can mean even though u-suppresser i-virus still amasotsha wakho womuzimba awaphakami. Umuntu uya-failure ku-treatment beacuse of amaARVs. Siyesishintshe i-drug esicabanga umuntu u-developer i-resistance kuyo. But if the case where somebody fails from regimen 1A, regimen 1B, and regimen 2,ekuwama regimens akhona e-South Africa, then siyaku regimen esiyibiza ukuthi yi-salvage therapy, so i-advcice yami would be if a clinician ine-problem ngama ARVs. {IsiZulu} [It’s not true that if you have a liver problem or liver toxicity, you should be taken off ARVs all together. It brings us back to the issue of well-trained people, in managing HIV/AIDS. There is something called treatment failure. Treatment failure is when a person can’t suppress the replication of the virus. It can also be when the virus is suppressed, but the cells are not recovering. If the person fails treatment because of ARVs, we chance the drug the person’s body is resistant to. But if the case where somebody fails from regimen 1A, regimen 1B, and regimen two, which are the available regimens in South Africa, we move on to a regimen called salvage therapy. So my advice would be, if a physician has a problem with ARVs,] they should refer clients to people who can manage them better, or a specialist who are trained in ARVs, because we have seen on lots of people who have failed, but being put on salvage treatment, some of them miraculously just recover in an amazing way. Shalom is an example. She knows. She’s been on salvage therapy and she’s done very well.

Shalom Ncala: Kukhona into ehambayo futhi ingihlupe kakhulukhulu when it comes to idebate le ihlala ikhona yame alternative medication amaARVs yokuthi it tends I confuse abantu abaningi. Kwenza ukuthi abantu abaningi walahlekwele yisiphilo zabo uthi abaphiwa information e-right. {IsiZulu} [Something else bothers me when it comes to the debate about ARVs and alternative medication. It tends to confuse many people. It’s costing many people their lives because they are not getting the right information.]

Nozizwe Mandla-Routledge: Ngu government siwa amukhele ama complimentary medicines,Kunengama ingifuna ukuligcizelela medicine si yakuqaza ukuthi into iyelapha fanelokho ukhusho ngoba uhambile wayohlola ukuthi iyelapha, awukwqazi ukuthi lento yami izokwelapha ungazange uhambe uyoyihlola {IsiZulu} [Government has welcomed complimentary medicines. I want to emphasise on the word medicine. Medicine is something that heals. You must call it medicine after you’ve gone to test its healing power. You can’t call something medicine without research into its healing ability.]

Vuyani Jacobs: I’m just sorry for Khabzela, I’m sorry for Sister Nozipho, I’m sorry for people who die in the streets. And the reason why I’m sorry is because of the confusion of a quick fix. We all want to be an Africanist in thinking and in doing, because we want to have a rebirth of Africa. But I’m sure our Africa must be scientific, as you say Minister. Our African must be scientific, our response must be scientific. And it becomes problematic, because it becomes a battle between the activist and the government, and it’s not supposed to be that. It’s a battle between denialists, those who don’t believe in HIV, and those who believe in it.

Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge: I-media abalulekile kakhulu ku communication, abantu bayeyibhuka i-TV kungakho leprogramme ngesikhathi i-launche ngajabula kakhulu ngoba esikhathini esiningi abanye abantu uyendwa uphethwe yisifo esimuphethe angazi ukuthi fanele ashone ngakuphi. I-commication ifanele ukuthi ibe-consistent. Fanele thina sonke singaba holi ku-government ikakhulu sikhela phezulu kumongameli kwehle kuze ezantsi, sonke fanele sikhulume into eyondwa khona abantu bazokwazi ukuthi fanele benze njani. {IsiZulu} [The media is very important in communication, especially TV. This is why I was glad when this programme was launched. Most times a sick person is alone and doesn’t know what to do. Communication must be consistence. As leaders in government, from the president to the lowest office, we should all be passing the same messages so that we don’t confuse people.] There is no quick fix. And unfortunately, we lost Khabzela because he was looking, like everybody else who is desperate, he was looking for a quick fix.

Shalom Ncala: Sizokhuluma futhi ngemibikho you kupholisa ne HIV, emva kwekefu. Unganyakazi. {IsiZulu} [We talk more about curative claims and HIV after the break. Don’t go away.]

Shalom Ncala: Babukheli siyani amukela futhi eqenjeni lesiyayinqoba Beat It!. Uhlelo lukha wonke wonke ithelelekayo no thelwele yi-HIV, Ubhejane wenze yinyanga ihlala ePinetown uZeblon Gwala. Idunyiswa ezixenyeni izithile njenge simangaliso isisha isipholisa igculaza. Masibhekeni.{IsiZuLu} [Welcome back to the Siyayinqoba Beat It! support group. The programme for everyone infected and affected by HIV. Ubhejane, developed by Pinetown-based herbalist, Zeblon Gwala, is being heralded in some quarters as a new miracle cure for AIDS. Let’s take a look.]

Durban, KZN, ‘Can Ubhejane be the miracle cure for HIV/AIDS?’

Zanele Tshabalala: 2003 bengi gula ngiphethwe yisifuba. Ngikhwehlela ngacela udoctor ukuthi angiyenze i-HIV test ama-results wami aphuma positive. Then udoctor Mohale my doctor ungi phuthe kuma ARVs, ngaya u2003 and ngaqubheka ngawaphuza sonke lisikhathi, ngo 2005 ngacala nga gula ngi vomita kakhulu the bangi admitter esibhedlela then they stop me ukuthi ngiphuze amaARVs, because bekhunama side effects we ARVs. {IsiZulu} [In 2003, I fell sick, I had chest problems and coughing. I then asked a doctor to test me for HIV and the results came back positive. Then Dr Mohale, my doctor, put me on ARVs in 2003 I took the ARVs until 2005. In December 2005, I got very sick, I was vomiting. I was admitted to hospital and I stopped the ARVs because I was suffering from side effects.]

Dr Mopeli Mohale: [Zanele had lactic acidosis. Her lactic acid was high, 5.32. Circumstances forced us to stop ARVs to give her body a chance to recover. Then she stopped coming for her medication. I heard she had gone to Pinetown to get something called Ubhejane.] {Sesotho}

Zanele Tshabalala: Ngezwa ngo bhejane, iTV uManto Msimango a interview ubabugwala.{IsiZulu} [I heard about Ubhejane when Manto Msimang was interviewing Mr. Gwala.]

Zeblon Kholwa Gwala: Bawuqala ke uthola ama-two liter awo-two, lo onisivalo esimuhlophe u-booster amashotsha womuzimba, lo onesivalo esiblue lulwa ne gciwane noma isifo unaso. Bengishayela ama-truck long distance ngi driver la eAfrica. Kwahambe ke ngi driver ama-truck ngilokho ngi phupha umuthi ngamunye, ngamunye, ngibhale phantsi ngifike nawo nginike uNkosikazi wami ukuthi abhale. Ngabhala umuthi engingawazi ukuthi ngumuthi wani.Ubabakhulu wami wakha yinyanga ba kaGwala. Ungenawo umuthi ingama ukuthi ngu bhejane waqamba ngabantu, abedla lomuthi bathi xa ikhunzi yiphondo {IsiZulu} [If it’s your first time, you get two two little bottles. The one with the white cap is to boost your immune system. The one with the blue cap fights the virus. I used to be a long distance truck driver, driving around Africa. While driving, I would dream of different herbs. I would dream of these herbs one by one and write them down. When I got home, I would ask my wife to write as well. I had no idea what the resulting medicine would be. My grandfather was a traditional healer. The name ‘Ubhejane’ didn’t exist back then it was given by the people drinking it when they say it’s healing power.]

Zanele Tshabalala: Awuzange ungisize Ubhejane because iCD4 ciunt yami ayiyehli. Wasi promise ukuthi lesi dikiselo esimhlope iCD4 count yakho izokuphuka to 1000 to 2000 akwenzelanga. Wasithembisa ne virus izophela after four months to six months ubhejane uzoyo testa uthole ukuthi I undetectable. But akhusenjalo because ngiyiphuze more than four months to six months but manje ngiye nga stopper. {IsiZulu} [Ubhejane didn’t help me because my CD4 count didn’t improve. They promised us that the two litre bottle with the white cap will boost our CD4 count up to a thousand and that didn’t happen. They also promised us that after four to six months of using Ubhejane, when you go for a test, the virus would be undetectable. But I’ve been taking Ubhejane for four months and nothing’s happening. I’ve stopped now.]

Dr Mopeli Mohale: [From the time she started taking Ubhenjani until now, her CD4 count has dropped to 32 points. This is one of the reasons she decided to stop taking it. I don’t have much knowledge about U., but I know that no scientific research has been done to show the advantages and disadvantages of taking Ubhenjani.] {Sesotho}

Zeblon Kholwa Gwala: As I understand Ubhejane yi African medicine, ayinowo aba-laborities i-African, ayinawo ama-universities lapho izoyenziwa khona ngoba inyanga vele zikhona, I believe 80% wabantu la eSouth Africa before baye kho doctor baqale ezinyangeni. {IsiZulu} [My understanding is that Ubhenjani is an African medicine. And African medicine is not made in laboratories or universities because traditional healers make it. I believe that 80% of all South Africans consult traditional healers before going to the doctor.]

Zanele Tshabalala: Wangi thethisa udoctor Mohale athi ngi risker ngephilo yami, because angazi ubhejani uyezwe ngani. Bacause basitshela ngezihlahla eziyi 87 asizazi ukuthi yizihlahla ezinjani.{IsiZulu} [Dr Mohale gave me grief about taking Ubhenjani. Because I don’t know what is made of. They say it’s made from 87 mysterious herbs.]

Zeblon Kholwa Gwala: Angiwazi amaARVs, angiwazi kuthi aphumakuphi, and ubhejane abantu wayazi ukuthi ubhejane uphumaphi. Banama phone number akaGwala baphoner direct ku founder kabhejane. AmaARVs asiwazi ukuthi aphumakuphi, angi khumbula ama patient wami la akwazi ukuphona direct abuze ukuthi acoplaine ukuthi manje isibindi sesikukumele, izinso zami sezibuhlungu whatever. Manje ngeke ngikwazi ukhucommenter kakhulu ngamaARVs, kodwa what I know awami amapatients abawuhlanganisi ubhejane amaARVs, ngoba asikho isi study ukukwamonitor abantu badla le combine i-ARVs no bhejane. {IsiZulu} [I don’t know where ARVs come from, but people now that Ubhenjani comes from Gwala. They have my contact numbers, they can call the founder directly. We don’t know where ARVs come from. People can’t contact the manufacturers of ARVs directly and complain about liver or kidney complications. I can’t say a lot about ARVs, but what I know is that my patients don’t mix U. with ARVs, because there has never been a study monitoring people who take a combination of the two.]

Jonathan Berger, AIDS Law Project: Zeblon Gwala is claiming that particular substance is able to cure HIV or treat HIV, and that substance has not been registered, and that is the case with Ubhejane. Then yes, he is violating the Medicine’s Act, and it’s a criminal offence to make particular claims for products where there is no evidence that such claims can be supported.

Zeblon Kholwa Gwala: Manje nizimali ze clinical trail anginawo. Nezimali zokuya ku MRc kuyoyeziwa ucwaningo noku register anginayo. Ugovernment ungiyekhela bengi thembe ugovernment uzangisiza {IsiZulu} [I don’t have the money to do clinical trials. And I don’t have money to go to the MRC so that I can be registered. The government is not helping, but I was hoping they would assist me.]

Dr Mopeli Mohale: As someone who’s been treating people living with HIV for years, our leaders in government have caused fear. And that has led to people trying other things that they think will help, like Ubhejane. {Sesotho}

Support group

Shalom Ncala: Into bengithanda ukuyazi kuwe sis Zanele ukuthi, fine wasitopiwa kuma ARVs wase uyahamba uyoqala ubhejane, yini into ekuyenze ukuthi u stopper ubhejane? beacuse bewunethemab ukuthi ubhejane uzosebenza. {IsiZulu} [I would like to know from you Zanele, you stopped taking ARVs and you started taking Ubhenjani. What made you taking Ubhejane after you believed it was going to work?]

Zanele Tshabalala: Into yayeza ukuthi ngi stopper ubhejane ngoba i-CD4 count yami ayikhuphuki, and I virus ilokho ikhona and basithembisa ukuthi i-CD4 count waphuza leyesivalo esihlope usiphuza kayi one kuphela then i-CD4 count iyakhuphuka angeke sisayiphuza le…{IsiZulu} [I stopped because my CD4 count was not improving and the virus was always there. They said I would only take one two litre bottle with the white cap, and my CD4 count would go up.]

Shalom Ncala: Ba explayinile kuthi yiphuza isikhathi esingakanani. {IsiZulu} [But did they explain how long you were meant to drink this for?]

Zanele Tshabalala: Ja, bathi uphuza four months or six months. Then mawuyo testa yonke into i-right. {IsiZulu} [They said you should drink it for four months to six months. Then when you go back for your tests, everything would be fine.]

Shalom Ncala: So wena uthathe nje i-cycle eyi one le bhodlela elimhlope neli-blue. {IsiZulu} [Did you only use one cycle for the white and blue cap bottles?]

Zanele Tshabalala: Heyi, a-blue maybe engiwaphuzile maybe ayi thirty eli white maybe ngaphuza one. Eli blue for sure thirty or thirty two because ngaya for five months njalo mangiyo thenga every month bengithenga ama- container ayi four wama two litre. {IsiZulu} [I think I drank about 30 blue cap bottles and only one white cap bottle. Because I went there for about five months, and every time I would buy four two litre bottles.] A monthly supply.

Shalom Ncala: So in essence u-spender malini nje? {IsiZulu} [In essence, how much did you spend?]

Zanele Tshabalala: Bengi spender R1000 a month, ukuya ngithenga amabhodlela, four bengiwathenga eliyi one yi viki eliyi one, ija, kayi two nge langa, i-half ye komitji ngelanga.{IsiZulu} [I spent a R1000 a month including traveling. I bought four because you are meant to drink one per week. I would drink half a cup two times a day.]

Shalom Ncala: Into ingifuna ukuyazi amaexperience wakho masuwuqale ubhejane bewuzizwa unjani.{IsiZulu} [What were your experiences after starting Ubhejane? How did you feel?]

Zanele Tshabalala: Abengizizwa ngi right, but bengithanda ukuphatwa yokhanda kakhulu, so bekhathi simuphonele, ubabu Gwala masinama problem, Ngimufhonela ngimutshela ukuthu ngiphathwa yikanda, athi hayi lizo dlula, ikanda ungakathazeki ungastopi ukuphuza qubeka unga hlanganisi nama ARVs,ngoba amaARvs anama side effects. Ubhejane bawohlolile awunawo ama side effects. {IsiZulu} [I felt fine, but I would get headaches at times. I’d phone Mr. Gwala whenever I had problems. It’d tell him about the headaches and he said they would pass. And that I shouldn’t stop taking Ubhejane, but I shouldn’t mix it with ARVs, because ARVs have side affects and Ubhejane doesn’t, they’ve tested it.]

Nokhwezi Hoboyi: Mabakunikeza lama bhodlela bakutshela ukuthi uhloliwe ubhejane.{IsiZulu} [When they gave you the bottles, did they say Ubhejane had been tested?]

Zanele Tshabalala: Ja. [Yes]

Nokhwezi Hoboyi: Manje into engi didayo kule insert besiyibukhele, ubaba Gwala uthi yena akanoyo imali yokuyohlolisa ubhejane, akanoyo imali yeMRC, yena akanamali urhulumeni akamucedi. So ke ngenye idlela lento icacisa ukuthi ubaba gwala lo ukhohlisa abantu ngokuthi ubhejane uhloliwe ukwezela ukuthi niwuthenge niwuthembe. {IsiXhosa} [Now I am getting confused. In the insert, he said that he doesn’t have money for tests, he doesn’t have money for the MRC, and the government isn’t helping him. I think that Mr. Gwala is misleading people so that they can buy Ubhejane.]

Busisiwe Maqungo: And ababantu bayayazi lento ukuba abantu abane HIV they want to get rid of iHIV ngokukhawuleza. So natoni na endingati dli ngokundisithi iyayicenda iHIV bazakuyenza. And we don’t we don’t even ask questions, for instance azina label lezabhotile. Ziza nje isicikho esi brown ne sinjani. Ukungaba uyanjonga kuARVs u yafumana ukuthi ikhona ileaflet ecazoyo ukuba lento lena iyeziwe ngento ethile, ithi ithi, ingamalayo, yonke into iphayane kuleaflet yayo. Ku bhejane ayikho but ukuba sithi yinto yesintu …..{IsiXhosa} [All these people know that people living with HIV, they want to get rid of HIV, they all want a quick fix. So they will fall for anything that claims to cure HIV? And we don’t even ask questions. For instance, those bottles have no labels. It’s just brown liquid with blue and white caps. If you look at ARVs, they come with a leaflet that explains what ingredients are contained in the product. Ubhenjani has no such but one might argue that it’s a traditional remedy. ]

Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge: UMr. Gwala engizokusho ukuthi uhulumeni waya kuyena. Ukuthi uhulumeni akafuni ukumisiza asilona iqiniso. Mhlambe akufunayo uMr. Gwala ku hulumeni yikuthi simumakhethele ubhejane lokho awukho right, asithina esingu hulumeni esinga makhethela ubhejane. Uhulumeni waya kuyena ngiyazi I Department of Science and Technology went to Mr. Gwala. Bathi kuMr. Gwala sizokusiza sinikheze ubhejane wakho siyowohlola lokho bebazokuyanza mahala bangaze ukumukhokhisa imali. Wala uMr. Gwala athi yimfihlo yakhe yamakhamba ayi87 ayini. Umasiyohlola kuzoyenza thina ukuthi sazi ukuthi yini into ayifakayo laphayana. Ngephela asizazi. Into iwrong yikuthi uya practiza akufanele apratize engazange a-register. {IsiZulu} [The government did approach Mr. Gwala. It’s not true that the government doesn’t want to help him. Maybe he wants the government to actually market Ubhenjani for him, and that is wrong, the government cannot market his product for him. I know the Department of Science and Technology went to Mr. Gwala. They offered help in the form of testing Ubhenjani for free. Mr. Gwala refused because he said that the 87 herbs are his secret. If they test Ubhenjani, they would know what it’s made of. It is wrong for Mr. Gwala to practice while he is unregistered.]

Shalom Ncala: Sizokhuluma futhi ngemibikho you kupholisa ne HIV, emva kwekefu. Unganyakazi. {IsiZulu} [We talk more about curative claims and HIV after the break. Don’t go away.]

Shalom Ncala: Babukheli siyani amukela futhi eqenjeni lesiyayinqoba Beat It! Uhlelo lukha wonke wonke ithelelekayo no thelwele yiHIV, {IsiZulu} [Welcome back to the Siyayinqoba Beat It! support group. The programme for everyone infected and affected by HIV.]

Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge: Kuyiqiniso kuthi ngekhe ixhasa abantu ukuthi bakhethe lokhu na lokhu, kodwa njengomnyango weze philo usebezi wethu kuwumitwalo unikweze abantu baseNingizumu Afrika ukuthi sibanikheze the best available solution. Kungakhi ke sithi ama traditional remedies awangene etestini ahlolwe. Ku strategic plan sikhufakhile lokho as priority number three, ukuthi fanele kwenziwe uphenyo, ngoba sizothi maliyeziwe lelophenyo singabatshela abantu ukuthi nxa kuyasebenza lokhu and lokhu akusebenzi. Khona engizokutsho ekugcineni icure ayikho ye AIDS kodwa amatreatment la asehloliwe ayakhombisa ukuthi siphila iside isikhathi, kungakho sibakuthaza abantu ukuthi mabahambe bayofuna usizo ngoba, mhlambe ngaleso isikhathi leyo ten years ahambe adla amaARVs azivela isolution. Loyomuntu iphilo yakhe isindile. Sicela nje ukuthi abantu bakhithi bonke basunkume bazi armer ngo lwazi anga didiswa noma kwesinye isikhathi badidiswa yithi asifanele ukuthi sibakhombisa idlela. {IsiZulu} [It’s true that we can’t force people to take certain medicines over others. Yet it is our duty as the Department of Health, it’s a task given to us by South Africans, to give them the best solutions. That is why we call for traditional remedies to be tested. This is priority number three in the strategic plan. Research must be done so that we can tell our people what works and what doesn’t. Lastly, I will say that there is no cure for AIDS at the moment. However, proven treatments have shown that you can live longer. This is why we encourage people to go and seek help. Maybe in the ten years that a person is on ARVs, a solution will be found. That person’s life will be saved. We ask our people to arm themselves with proper knowledge; they mustn’t be misled by anyone, even though sometimes it’s the leaders misleading them.]

Shalom Ncala: Namhlanje sifunde kukhona imichithizo iminingi enemibikho ingalwa negciwane leHIV. Lemichithizo imele ibhekwe ngokuqaphelisisa ngoba ayibhalisiwe ebadleni lokhu phatha imithi. Imibikho yokuthi iphiolisa noma ilwa ne HIV/AIDS ayinabo ubufakazi ukugwele. Kuyingozi ukuyakha ukuphuza amaARVs akho nanoma yesiphi isizathu. Yowona kuphela angamakhambi aqinisile ayasebenza ukulapha i-AIDS. Njalo nge viki sithola izincwadi ezivela khini babukheli bethu, futhi siyathnda ukuzwa imibono yenu ngakgo ke siyacela ukuthi nithithane nathi kwimininigwane esisiscreening manje. Siyathemba ukuthi uyijabulele imibono yethu namhlanje futhi uyawuzwa umoya wesiyayinqoba, sisonke singayehlula. Hlangana nathi futhi nge viki elizayo uqenjini lesisayinqoba. Kuze kube yileso isikhathi hlala unephilo futhi unethemba. Salani kahle. {IsiZulu} [Today we’ve learnt that there are a number of products that claim to counter HIV. These products must be viewed with caution, as they are not registered with the Medicines Control Council. The claims they make to cure or to counter HIV/AIDS are largely untested. It is dangerous to stop taking your ARVs for any reason. They are the only medication proven to work in treating AIDS. Each week we receive letters from you, our viewers. We value your views, so please contact us on the details on your screen now. We have that you enjoyed the show and are feeling the Siyayinqoba spirit, that together we can Beat It! Join us next week in the Siyayinqoba support group. Until then, stay healthy, stay positive.]

Question: A person with AIDS can revert to living healthily with HIV, through the use of ARVs, Yes or No?

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