More than two decades after the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) was first identified, HIV/AIDS has become one of the most devastating diseases mankind has ever faced. Since the breakout of the disease, more than 39.4 million people are living with the disease worldwide, and 2.3 million have died in Africa only (unfpa.org;www.avert.org/worldstats.htm).
HIV/AIDS poses a major challenge to many developing countries. Besides constituting a tremendous medical emergency, countries already saddled with poverty, are caught up in a vicious circle of lower capacity, loss in human resources and poor growth. Nevertheless, besides being a threat to socio-economic development and human well-being, HIV/AIDS also poses major challenges to democracy and good governance.
South Africa is the country worst stricken by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Currently, more people are infected with HIV/AIDS in South Africa than in any other country. There are 4.7 million South Africans affected by the pandemic, which makes up to 20% of the adult population (HIV/AIDS, Democracy and Citizenship p. 2).
In November 2004, IDASA (The Institute for Democracy in South Africa) published the report HIV/AIDS and Democratic Governance in South Africa - Illustrating the Impact on Electoral Processes (IDASA 2004) by Kondwani Chirambo , which studies how HIV/AIDS can and does impact on electoral democracy in South Africa.
"This research project had the objective of investigating the probable impact of HIV/AIDS on electoral processes as a key facet of the democratisation process in Africa. The rationale is that democracy requires strong institutions and the full participation of citizens in political, social and economic life to be sustainable. However HIV/AIDS, as research has confirmed, is depleting the skills base in all developmental sectors and reducing the capacity of societies to be productive and secure the livelihoods of their citizens. Institutions may be weakened due to loss of skills and the sum effect would be to affect the quality of governance. Good governance, which has been equated to democratic governance by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) after all, is meant to deliver job opportunities, education and long healthy lives for all citizens, among other things." (ibid.: 13).
The key findings of the report by IDASA's Governance and AIDS Programme (GAP) are highlighted in the following sections of this Focus On:
Selected Articles:
