Media Watch

DA launches Campaign Coercion

The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) most recent HIV testing campaign blatantly ignores the ethical principle of informed consent, preying on and coercing socio-economically vulnerable South Africans.

If the news is anything to go by, Helen Zille is up to her eyeballs in HIV-related controversy yet again, after the Western Cape launched a campaign offering substantial cash prizes to people who screen for HIV.

And while some off-the-street respondents interviewed in an article for today’s (Tuesday’s) edition of The Citizen feel that it is a good way to motivate people to test, the ‘HIV testing lotto’ is essentially unethical because it robs people of the ability to make the decision to test with full knowledge of what that decision might entail.

In other words Zille’s harebrained scheme violates what is best expressed by the ethical principle of informed consent, that is, knowing full well what you are saying “yes” to.

HIV activists ‘terrorised’ by God-Zille’s HIV criminalisation comments

Helen Zille’s recently aired and very controversial views on the criminalization of unsafe sex and who deserves HIV treatment have proved to be the sparks that ignited a slew of online media coverage and responses from outraged HIV activists.

Zille was reported as saying that unsafe sex should be criminalised, particularly when it came to men involved in multiple concurrent partnerships.

The premier also stated that those who contract HIV through irresponsible behavior should not “come running to the state” for treatment.

The most notable response to Zille’s controversial remarks came from Nathan Geffen (TAC) and Gavin Silber (Social Justice Coalition).

Geffen and Silber argue that the Premier’s opinions are “misinformed and unscientific” and “unconstitutional” to boot. Most importantly, Geffen and Silber point out that the criminalisation of unsafe sex and the withdrawal of treatment from those deemed undeserving and irresponsible, would actually have negative consequences for those living with the virus and for the spread of HIV itself.