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SANDF firm on HIV in spite of cabinet stance Ministry denies position out of step Chief Political Correspondent THE South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has defended its position of not recruiting HIV-positive people, despite the cabinet's insistence on Wednesday that there was no government policy to that effect. While maintaining that its recruitment policy would not prevent HIV-positive individuals from serving the army in "civilian" administrative capacities, the ministry emphasised yesterday that healthy citizens, with potential to carry out strenuous physical training, would be prioritised during intakes. It also denied that its position contradicted that of government's on the matter. Government spokesman Joel Netshitenzhe was emphatic this week that each case would be treated on its own merits.

But ministry spokesman Sam Mkhwanazi confirmed yesterday that HIV-positive people would not be eligible for military recruitment, and yet insisted that the ministry and the cabinet were speaking with one voice.

He reiterated Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota's statement that it was not only people with HIV-positive status who could be excluded from the military, but everyone who failed an "overall health assessment".

Lekota said earlier that other applicants who suffered from other illnesses that affected their physical wellbeing had also been turned away. Asked whether an HIV-positive person who passed every other aspects of the health assessment would be eligible, Mkhwanazi said: "No, in as much as a person with a heart condition or poor eyesight would not be eligible." Earlier this month, Lekota said there was no point in recruiting HIV-positive individuals, saying it would not be "useful". He was widely criticised for this, with some legal experts arguing that such a stance was unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, the Aids Law Project has welcomed the cabinet's stance on the matter. However, it still expressed "extreme concern" that despite the cabinet's pronouncement, the SANDF seemed determined to continue excluding HIV-positive job applicants from joining the army. It named four HIV-positive applicants who had been turned away. They included a woman who applied for a position as a nurse. Her initial positive HIV test results later turned out to be false.

The organisation has opposed the rejection of the four applicants.

The project said that it hoped that the cabinet's statement would clarify the confusion that appeared to exist between government's position and the army's on the matter. It also argued that the SANDF's position needed to be brought in line with that of the cabinet's.