Aids activist Pru Mabele described as a fierce and fearless fighter

ate Aids activist, Prudence Mabele. Picture: Supplied

ate Aids activist, Prudence Mabele. Picture: Supplied

Published Jul 19, 2017

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Prudence "Pru" Mabele has been described as a fearless, passionate and "mad" in her activism in the struggle against HIV in South Africa. 

Mabele was a leading advocate for people living with HIV and AIDS who died on July 11 from pneumonia aged 46. 

Delivering a tribute her funeral service in Randburg, friend Bev Ditsie said Mabele had to fight for her life moments after discovering that she was diagnosed with HIV. 

Among those attending her funeral service included Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Executive Director of UN Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa. 

"She was in turmoil, she was in pain, she was being kicked out of university and kept asking 'why?' - we were fighters, we were young, we were fierce," Ditsie told mourners who gathered at Rhema Bible Church. 

Ditsie said despite all of that, Mabele fought on and understood the role she assumed of being an activist. 

"We do not live in truth. But Prudence put her body on the line, she was not a social media activist because we have social media activists who do not have to do anything but Prudence out her body on the line, she literally went out and did things for people, wherever it was, whatever needed to be done - by herself sometimes," Ditsie said. 

Mabele was the president for the Society for Women and AIDS in South Africa. She became popular in 1992 after she became the first black woman to publicly reveal her HIV positive status in SA. 

As one of South Africa’s leading spokesperson and an advocate for people living with HIV and Aids, Mabele carried the Olympic in 2004 torch as part of an international torch relay for the 2004 Olympics in Greece.

She was also one of the founding members of the Bring Back Our Girls South Africa campaign.

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