Glaring absence of taxi operators
HIV event aimed to teach accident safety methods
NOT a single taxi operator showed up at an HIV/Aids awareness campaign meant to equip them with how to treat injured passengers during vehicle accidents.
The Teta-funded (Transport Education Authority) campaign, which was organised by Lithalengcali Training Institute, however went ahead with residents in attendance at the Zwelitsha Community Hall near King William’s Town yesterday.
The main purpose of the event was to educate the taxi operators on preventative and safety methods when involved in accidents – where they may have to perform first-aid on injured passengers.
But the taxi operators did not show up because they had to go to a “taxi conference” in Cape Town yesterday, Lithalengcali Training Institute director Nohlanga Zonke said.
Zonke said it was imperative that taxi associations were equipped with the necessary skills.
In an interview, Zonke said: “We need to transform the taxi-related entities and for that reason we have embarked on the holistic transformation of the sector, the wellness factor being our point of departure.”
Almost 100 people in attendance heard how it was important to abstain or condomise as fighting HIV/Aids was everyone’s responsibility.
Teta official Nelly Zekale said they jumped at the opportunity of being involved in the educational campaign.
“It was a campaign worth funding and we are also promoting the Department of Health’s Phila campaign, alongside the Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi,” Zekale said.
Phila was recently launched by the department as a “revolution” to change the country’s thinking and practices around healthy lifestyles.
Babalwa Ntsekwa from Bumb’ingomso HIV Prevention Project, an organisation offering young people in Buffalo City Metro, advise on a healthy lifestyle, stressed the need for families of HIV-positive people to accept them.
Another speaker from the department of safety and liaison, Nomfundo Mahonga, made a plea to older men to stop exploiting young girls.
When the floor was open for questions and comments, a man who did not identify himself, said: “The organisations need to bring us people who have lived with the virus, the people who come here to motivate us, have not experienced living with HIV – they have only studied and read about the virus in books.”
Vukile Soyizwapi Community Police Forum member said: “We are grateful for this workshop because it teaches us things we did not know. It was not only beneficial to the taxi drivers, but also to us as the community. We will also be able to educate our families and people who were not here.” —