Pastors Told to Stop Encouraging Positive Members to Quit ARVs. 31/5/10

Some pastors who pray for positive people advise them to quit the drugs and believe only in prayer, which he said has resulted in the death of a number of HIV positive people.

Times of Swaziland

Manzini- Bishop Nash Shongwe from the Divine Healing Ministries Church has told pastors to stop encouraging HIV positive members from taking their AIDS drugs (ARVs).

Shongwe said they have noted that some pastors who pray for positive people advise them to quit the drugs and believe only in prayer, which he said has resulted in the death of a number of HIV positive people.

Preaching

He was preaching the Word of God during the Candlelight Memorial ceremony, held at the Jubilee Park on Saturday. According to Shongwe, pastors have dug so many graves for people who are already on treatment by making them believe that they will be cured through prayer.

Bishop Nash said it was not for the pastors to stop people from taking AIDS drugs but should leave that responsibility to the doctors who are the ones who administer them in the first place. He said while HIV/AIDS was indeed a demon that is regarded to be prayed for it was wise to leave the doctors to do their work and it is them who will tell their patient whether to quit the drugs.

Meanwhile, he said time had come that HIV was treated like any other disease and should not be stigmatised.

He said when he visited Uganda in 2000, he was shocked to hear an HIV positive woman revealing her status in a full congregation and further seeking to be prayed for. Shongwe said the woman made it clear that she was positive and needed prayer. Bishop Shongwe said he was told by the people in Uganda that HIV/AIDS was not a shame in their country but was treated like any other disease.

This, Shongwe said had helped in stabilising the pandemic in that country which was the worse affected in the region.

Shongwe encouraged people to take God as a solution then they will conquer HIV. He said it was a matter of time that a solution to the pandemic came out.

Manzini Mayor Phesheya Myeni thanked the churches that participated in the event, noting that in the past when the disease was first discovered there was a huge gap, but today there is only one language spoken, which is to fight the disease.

62 get tested during Manzini Candlelight Commemoration

Manzini- A total of 62 people took the initiative to get tested during the candlelight memorial ceremony which was held in this town last Saturday.

Testing was conducted by the AIDS Care Foundation, which had partnered with AMICAALL and Manzini Church Based Organisation that had organised the event.

Prevention Programme Coordinator at AIDS Care Foundation, Zanele Dlamini said they have noted an increase in the number of people that test, which she said shows a positive step towards fighting the pandemic.

Dlamini said they had pitched about three tents, which did not accommodate the numbers and they had to add a mobile Clinic.

Testing began at 3 pm until 6 pm, whilst the initial ceremony begun at 5 pm and was well attended.