Motsepe Foundation donates R11m to aids campaign
The Motsepe Foundation donated R11 million to U2 singer and activist Bono's (RED) campaign, which fights HIV/Aids, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Saturday, the foundation announced.
"(RED) funds are fighting Aids in eight African countries, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia," spokesman Joe Latakgomo said in a statement.
Funds were used for HIV/Aids grants that provided treatment, testing, prevention, and care services, focused on was ending mother-to-child HIV transmission and achieving an Aids-free generation.
"Of the more than US240 million (about R2.6 billion) generated by (RED) to date, 100 percent has gone directly to The Global Fund for on-the-ground services, with no overhead taken out by (RED)," said Latakgomo.
(RED) and its partners – from Bank of America, to Starbucks, Apple and more – were united in a global push to end mother-to-child transmission of the HIV virus by 2015, in line with
the UN Millennium Development Goals.
Foundation chairman Patrice Motsepe said, "Bono, the Gates Foundation, The Global Fund and various other donors and governments have done outstanding work in the fight against HIV/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis, but there is still a lot of work to be done."
South Africa and the rest of Africa were indebted to them, with the South African government also doing good work in this regard.
-Sapa