Thank you very much, hon member. The government, through the Minister of Health, is working very well with all the stakeholders within the SA National Aids Council, Sanac. That has improved the attitude towards testing and counselling. Many people who in the past would have had to protest and even approach the courts to nudge government or persuade government to provide treatment are today working very closely with government through Sanac. So, that is being recognised, even by the UNAIDS Executive Director, Dr Sidib.
It is also being recognised by other nations that the fight against HIV/Aids in South Africa is regarded as a national challenge and all stakeholders are working in concert to reduce new infections and to ensure that those who are already infected receive the requisite treatment.
The "group of champions", consisting of former presidents in the Southern African Development Community region, has also added its support and commendation the efforts that the South African government, together with Sanac, is making.
High level of inequality in society and measures taken to address this inequality
10. Mr D B Feldman (Cope) asked the Deputy President:
Whether, regarding his sustained and high profile leadership of the War on Poverty Campaign, South Africa is no longer the world's most unequal nation as determined by the Gini coefficient; if not, when will this campaign help the 4,5 million persons or the 36,5% of the workforce to find sustainable jobs, seeing that only 350 000 new jobs were created during the past eleven years; if so, what measures did he employ to (a) increase employment, (b) defeat widespread endemic poverty and (c) bring South Africa down on the list of most unequal nations? CO390E