HIV, gender activist had felt betrayed
Friends speak out at funeral service for Prudence Mabele
LEADING HIV and gender activist Prudence Nobantu Mabele died broken from betrayal by her own organisation. This was claimed by people close to Mabele during her funeral service yesterday at Rhema Bible Church in Randburg.
Mabele, who was the founder and executive director of Positive Women’s Network, succumbed to pneumonia at the age of 46 in a Rosebank hospital in Johannesburg.
She broke ground in 1992 in South Africa by publicly revealing her HIV-positive status.
Mark Heywood, co-founder of Treatment Action Campaign, delivered an emotional pledge speaking directly to Mabele, saying that he was sorry that Mabele died feeling betrayed. “Two years ago you wrote to me to complain about people who stabbed you in the back. I’m sorry you died feeling betrayed,” Heywood said.
“At the time of your death I hear people lament that civil society is divided. There are two streams in civil society. Yours is the stream that flows cleanly and clearly.
“We are divided against corruption, against those who are parasitical on the response to Aids. We will build unity. Yes we will. But it will not be a fake unity.
“It will be unity with the poor, the marginalised, the violated and discriminated against.”
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, and director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, were among the mourners at the funeral.
Heywood said that Mabele’s life-long activism was an inspiration to others, adding that South Africans had a responsibility to fulfil some of Mabele’s wishes.
“You were an activist, a warrior woman, a woman in a line of activists, some of whom are still larger than life,” Heywood said. “Recently I saw a picture of you marching to demand the resignation of Jacob Zuma. For you Prudence, we will call on Deputy President Ramaphosa and the honest members of the ANC to vote President Zuma out of power on August 8 because we cannot have a good response to Aids in a corrupt government.”
Mabele was also hailed as a fearlesscampaigner who lobbied government for access to treatment when politicians were resistant to roll out anti-retrorviral treatment. Mabele also sat on the board of the SA National Aids Council, advising government on issues of sexual and reproductive health and HIV.
Her friend, Bev Ditsie, said Mabele was THURSDAY JULY 20 2017 a woman of truth who visited Aids patients at public hospitals and confronted nurses about unhygienic conditions.
“Sadly, while she was sleeping in hospital, she was being backstabbed by her own organisation,” Ditsie said.
Positive Women’s Network chairperson Susan Nkomo said it would keep Mabele’s flame burning, adding that she spoke the language of ordinarypeople. – ANA