Public HIV test for Karas Governor

KEETMANSHOOP – People in leadership positions should declare their HIV-AIDS statuses to the communities they lead in order to encourage their subjects to go for voluntary counselling and testing.

This challenge was made by the Karas Regional Governor, Stephanus Goliath when he went for a public HIV test at the Keetmanshoop New Start Centre on Monday. The former Mayor of Keetmanshoop and a Pastor of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, Andreas Biwa was the second person who was tested at the centre.Their spouses followed shortly afterwards.Speaking at the launching of the new New Start Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centre, Goliath said that the HIV-AIDS pandemic could not be treated with soft gloves anymore.”It is crucial what we as leaders do now to save our society,” Goliath stressed.He added that if leaders only talk without taking proactive action it would not yield the desired results.”Quite often we preach things that we are not practising ourselves, but in the light of the danger we face through HIV-AIDS it is important that we come out publicly for testing,” the Governor emphasised.The charismatic Goliath also called on parents and other stakeholders within various communities to start talking about HIV-AIDS openly.”HIV-AIDS should become a serious part of our daily discussions within families, friends and colleagues at work, otherwise we might be wiped out totally if we are not careful,” he noted.He added that the fight against HIV-AIDS should become more visible.”AIDS is real.Aids is with us.AIDS kills.Silence kills.Secrecy kills,” Goliath said.The Keetmanshoop News Start VCT centre commenced with its operations on Monday.It is one of several around the country.- NampaThe former Mayor of Keetmanshoop and a Pastor of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, Andreas Biwa was the second person who was tested at the centre.Their spouses followed shortly afterwards.Speaking at the launching of the new New Start Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centre, Goliath said that the HIV-AIDS pandemic could not be treated with soft gloves anymore.”It is crucial what we as leaders do now to save our society,” Goliath stressed.He added that if leaders only talk without taking proactive action it would not yield the desired results.”Quite often we preach things that we are not practising ourselves, but in the light of the danger we face through HIV-AIDS it is important that we come out publicly for testing,” the Governor emphasised.The charismatic Goliath also called on parents and other stakeholders within various communities to start talking about HIV-AIDS openly.”HIV-AIDS should become a serious part of our daily discussions within families, friends and colleagues at work, otherwise we might be wiped out totally if we are not careful,” he noted.He added that the fight against HIV-AIDS should become more visible.”AIDS is real.Aids is with us.AIDS kills.Silence kills.Secrecy kills,” Goliath said.The Keetmanshoop News Start VCT centre commenced with its operations on Monday.It is one of several around the country.- Nampa