MDC-T distances itself from Femai's 'shun bathing and dress shabbily' HIV cure

The Movement for Democratic Change led by MorganTsvangirai has distanced itself from utterances made by its Senator for Chikomo Morgan Femai that women should always have bald heads, shun bathing and dress shabbily as part of measures to curb the spread of HIV.

In distancing itself with the ignorant senator, MDC-T joins women's organisations and HIV and AIDS activists who castigated the senator soon after his unfortunate statements. They want Senator Femai to unconditionally withdraw his utterances.

"The MDC-T notes with concern utterances in the public media attributed to Senator for Chikomo Morgan Femai on HIV and AIDS. It is unfortunate that some sections of the media have interpreted these remarks to be the party position.
 
"The MDC-T recognises the HIV/AIDS pandemic as a national emergency with socio-economic ramifications and as such supports a national HIV/AIDS prevention network through the establishment of state of the art clinical facilities, drug procurement channels and financing mechanisms for the treatment of AIDS," said MDC-T in a statement.

"The MDC strongly believes in the mobilization of all stakeholders - political leadership, civil society, the private and public sectors and NGOs - to face the realities of the epidemic head-on and work to drop those areas and practices of conventional wisdom which on longer work and differentiate clearly between myths that hold Zimbabwe back and proven good practices and knowledge that we should be implementing.

MDC-T said at the core of it's policy on HIV/AIDS is prevention and the MDC-T Government will work towards drastically reducing the spread of the epidemic. The spread of HIV/AIDS is most rapid where there are substantial social and economic inequalities, where people lack adequate and secure houses, where there is unemployment and where people lack basic health services. MDC-T said these are the issues the MDC government will address in its endeavour to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

However, Thabitha Khumalo, the MDC-T deputy spokesperson who is pushing for the decriminalization of the prostitution recently defended utterances made by Senator Femai at a recent HIV and AIDS workshop.

Last week Thabitha also said married women should know their husband's girlfriends and always keep in touch with them suggesting that by so doing HIV and AIDS can be curbed.