By Bonile Ngqiyaza
A member of South Africa's longest-running show, African Footprint, has reportedly been removed from the cast after he disclosed his HIV-positive status to another cast member.
The producers of the show have admitted that the cast member was on his way back to South Africa, but said this had been done in consultation with him after he had expressed concerns to a fellow member.
The production, which has gained international success, is currently based in Alaska.
A member of the cast told The Star that a lead dancer in the production had disclosed to a colleague that he was HIV-positive, and the person to whom this information was given in confidence had in turn passed it to management without his consent.
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"This individual has since been instructed to go back to South Africa with immediate effect. The promoter (based in the US) gave reasons that his status posed a huge risk to the rest of the dancers as they are sometimes in contact with each other.
"The promoter also mentioned that he does not have insurance that covers injuries and HIV (and its related illnesses) for the cast while they are overseas, and as a result wouldn't want to be sued in case anyone got infected by this dancer," an anonymous member of the production said in an e-mail.
The email writer said there was no policy in place relating to HIV-positive cast members, and it had never been mentioned by either of the show's producers, Richard Loring and Debbie Batzofin, or the promoter, Corey Ross, that this would be the consequence of disclosure.
Loring said the allegations were "absolutely untrue" and that although the HIV-positive dancer was on his way home, he would be paid for the seven weeks for which he had been engaged.
"Firstly, I absolutely refute the allegation that voices were raised and anger communicated at the airport with the individual in question.
"I was present along with two fellow artists when my associate producer, Debbie Batzofin, having just been made aware of the set of circumstances, gave the artist the deserved privacy and respect accorded to all our artists," Loring said.
He said he was awaiting a report from the Canadian promoter, Ross, regarding the manner in which this matter was dealt with.
The South African Human Rights Commission's HIV/Aids co-ordinator, Steven Ngobeni, said he was "appalled and shocked" at the way the cast member was alleged to have been treated.
"All that occurs to me is that this is a gross human rights violation," he said.
"No one has the right to disclose the HIV status of another without his or her consent."
Ngobeni encouraged the dancer to lay a complaint with the commission.
- This article was originally published on page 7 of The Star on January 18, 2008
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