Prudence Nobantu Mabele

Prudence Nobantu Mabele (21 July 1971 – 10 July 2017) was a South African activist who advocated for the rights of women and children living with HIV/AIDS, and against gender-based violence. She was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 1990 and went public with her status in 1992. She set up the Positive Women's Network in 1996. She worked with UNAIDS and also qualified as a sangoma. She was the recipient of many awards, including the Felipa de Souza award in 1999. In 2004, she carried the Olympic flame. She died in 2017 and in her memory the International AIDS Society set up an annual prize for gender activists. Quotes “I have seen ARVs save lives. If healers have refined their trees [herbs] and get it right and register it, I’ll definitely take their [treatment]. But it would have to be done in the right process because I wouldn’t want to put my life at stake for an experiment that is not even checked.” **Prudence speaking on ARVs “The two worlds are so far apart. As a traditional healer, I can’t go clubbing or have sex. You have to stay pure and focused. Yet my activist work takes my body and my mind everywhere. It’s hard to find the balance.” **Prudence speaking on the demands of her job “I know there is treatment fatigue – you get tired of taking pills every day. But ARVs are the only scientifically proven treatment for HIV.” ** External links 1. https://bhekisisa.org/article/2013-11-29-00-the-sangoma-who-lives-for-science/ 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prudence_Nobantu_Mabele