Employers+must+ensure+employees+know+HIV+status,+Ncube



=Employers must ensure employees know their HIV status, says Ncube=


 * By Nomusa Michelo**

Post, Wednesday March 29, 2006
EMPLOYERS have a responsibility to ensure employees have knowledge on HIV, Mary Ncube of MTN Ncube and Associates chartered accountants has said.

During a breakfast meeting for the Zambian business community with South African Communist Party (SACP) secretary general Dr Blade Nzimande, Ncube said HIV was an area that had been a taboo to discuss openly.

She said it was imperative for employers to have HIV policies in workplaces.

“We have a responsibility to our workers to ensure they have knowledge on HIV,” she said.

Ncube said employees also had to be assured that they would not be dismissed on account of their HIV status. “You have to let people know that even if you have AIDS you won’t be fired,” Ncube said.

She said people living with HIV could still be productive and contribute to the development of business.

Ncube said it would not make sense to dismiss an employee with vast knowledge and experience on account of their HIV status and employ a less experienced one.

She said although putting in place HIV policies was costly, it made good business sense.

Lusaka lawyer Mutembo Nchito bemoaned the lack of access to education by many Zambians.

Nchito said that during the rule of former president Dr Kenneth Kaunda people regardless of their economic status had access to education.

Nchito said the lack of access would deny the country an opportunity to have a well-developed skills base.

Zambia Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry chairman Justine Chisulo said lack of skilled graduates from colleges was having a negative impact on production.

He said because of low investment in equipment in most technical colleges in the country, diploma holders were not able to perform in industry because they did not have the required skills.

And Dr Nzimande said although there were problems in the education sector in Zambia, it was better off than South Africa.

He said the toll that apartheid had on education of the black people in South Africa was huge.

“Zambia might be in a better situation somewhat,” he said.

“In South Africa, there are no longer black or white schools, but there is a gap in reforming the schools. We still have children who are studying under trees.”

Dr Nzimande said many black people now sent their children to previously white-only schools.

Dr Nzimande said despite the black economic empowerment programme in his country, there was still a lack of skill among black people.

“High levels of skills is still with the whites,” he said.

“Apartheid was vicious in terms of training.”

Dr Nzimande said unlike the affirmative action spoken of in America where the minorities were empowered, in South Africa it was the majority that were marginalised.

The breakfast meeting was part of a series of events organised by the Press Freedom Committee of The Post during Dr Nzimande’s visit to Zambia.


 * From: http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=8177**

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