MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 26 MAY 2009

The Honourable Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr. Motloheloa Phooko has recently welcomed the newly appointed Board of Commissioners of the National AIDS Commission in their first seating as NAC Board Commissioners.

The new members are Advocate Lehlanako Mofilikoane – Leqele, who holds the Legal Portfolio; Ms. Puleng Lebitsa, taking on the Finance Portfolio; Mr. Mohau Mabote, a member of the HIV and AIDS Forum and appointed to the Stakeholders Portfolio; and Dr. ‘Molotsi Monyamane, who remains with the Health Portfolio, having served in the previous Board and re-appointed to the new body. Advocate Thabo Makeka, the previous Board Chair, remains the Chairperson of the new Board until the end of his five year term ending in 2010.

The Minister explained that it took Government a long time to appoint a new Board after the end of tenure of the previous Board in December 2009, clarifying that he has met with the members of the new Board previously to get to know them better and share Government’s vision and its expectations of them.

He therefore welcomed them into the NAC family and expressed hope that they would spearhead the continuing fight against HIV and AIDS. The Minister further briefed the new Board members about the National AIDS Commission, focusing on the NAC structure and mandate and how far it has come since inception.

Talking on the achievements of the Commission during the reign of the previous Board, the Minister mentioned development and implementation of the four national documents which drive the national response to HIV and AIDS. These he said were the National HIV and AIDS Policy, the National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan, the National Coordination Framework and the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan.

He further explained that since its inception, there has been much expectation on the ground from the Commission because it was established when the extent of the epidemic was already too high. The Minister thus warned the incoming Board members that they were faced with challenges of ensuring that NAC meets the expectations of the public and urged them to identify gaps and remedial measures thereof.

The new Board will serve NAC for a period of three years.