LEBOGANG SEALE
NELSON Mandela once campaigned for it to be recognised and treated like any other disease and called for the need to break the silence against it and banish stigma.
Yet many people continue to live in denial on how they are infected and affected by the HIV/Aids pandemic.
Yesterday, the family of the late Thabang Lebese broke their silence and disclosed that the former Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates star had died of an HIV/Aids-related ailment.
“I would like to inform South Africa, especially the football fraternity, that my son Thabang Lebese died of Aids-related complications,” said Thabang’s mother Florence in a letter sent to the media yesterday.
The family had, following the once-feared striker’s death two weeks ago, blamed Helen Joseph Hospital for his demise.
The family apologised publicly last week.
“In his hospital bed, with superb support from the Helen Joseph team… Thabang had grown in strength and had accepted his status… It was his wish to have disclosed his HIV status himself. Unfortunately he did not get this opportunity,” Florence said.
Lebese was involved in a social engagement project called Show Me Your Number, which sought to use sport as a tool to promote HIV/Aids prevention, treatment, care and support. Florence said her son had used this project as a platform to deal with his status and to encourage others to get tested so that they may know their status and get help.
Florence echoed Mandela’s statements about the importance of overcoming all forms of stigmatisation.
“As a mother, I believe that to address the problem of HIV/Aids is to speak openly about the disease, so that we deal with the stigma associated with it. Like many others, I could have taken the easy route and keep the cause of my son’s death a secret and in the process allow innuendos fuelled by media reports and corridor murmurs of ‘death due to an undisclosed illness’.
“But in not speaking out regarding Thabang’s cause of death, I would be betraying my son’s last wish to disclose his status.”
Lebese, who spoke openly about his mistakes, was buried on Friday.
l See http://docs.iol.co.za/ Lebese for full letter