SAfrica: Army not to recruit HIV-positive people - Defence Ministry maintains
The SA National Defence Force would not recruit individuals for its military arm if they were HIV positive, the Defence Ministry maintained on Thursday.
But it denied contradicting the cabinet, which stated on Wednesday [22 October] that there was no government policy to exclude people from the SANDF merely because they were HIV positive.
"Each case is treated on its own merits," government spokesman Joel Netshitenzhe said then.
Ministry spokesman Sam Mkhwanazi confirmed that HIV-positive people would not be eligible for military recruitment, but insisted that the ministry and the cabinet were talking with one voice.
He explained that HIV status had not been isolated as a criterion for recruitment. It was part of an "overall health assessment".
Mkhwanazi refused to give a yes or no answer to the question as to whether an HIV-positive person would be considered for the military.
Asked whether an HIV-positive person who passed every other aspect of the health assessment would be eligible, he said: "No, in as much as a person with a heart condition or poor eyesight would not be eligible".
Earlier this month, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said the SANDF did not recruit people with what he termed "the condition".
He said there was no point in recruiting HIV-positive individuals, explaining: "You can't take ill people into the positions in the army. It's not useful."
His statement was widely criticised and some lawyers believed the stance to be unconstitutional.
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23 Octobre 2003 à 12:53 dans
- zsandf (anglais)
