Terry Hutson SA PORT Operations (Sapo) has taken its HIV/Aids lifestyle management policy a giant step forward and entered into a partnership with the KZN government. This saw Sapo handing over a cheque for R100 000 plus a large quantity of clothing collected from clients and stakeholders to the local Social Welfare Department recentlu. The project aims to assist victims of HIV/Aids in selected areas where the onslaught of the disease is being felt the most. Seven pilot centres are being created to cater for the basic needs of the community, including counselling, life-style management and general support for afflicted families. Accepting the cheque from Sapo’s CEO Tau Morwe, the MEC for Social Welfare and Population Development Prince Gideon Zulu said he welcomed the strengthening of partnerships between his department and the port sector. “I don’t say we’ll succeed but we must stand together and fight the current enemies of poverty and disease.” He was being inundated with calls for help from children who have no money or the knowledge to even bury their parents. “Just this morning I took a call from a teenager who asked what he should do, as both his parents had died.” Zulu said the province had made R8.4 million available to develop the first sites and the money from Sapo would go towards educational needs of Aids orphans at two of these. The government aims to have enough centres scattered around the province. Morwe said that Sapo would become involved in supporting the ‘drop-in’ centres where those affected could receive general support and counselling.
