Botswana’s Francistown City councillors have called for the fight against HIV/AIDS to involve gays and lesbians sex workers  as a way of winning the fight.

The Voice reported commenting on the address by National AIDS Coordinating Agency, Acting National Coordinator Joseph Kefas who was in town to brief local authorities on the state of the war against HIV/AIDS, councillors said it would be dangerous to pretend that such people do not exist.

“We must accept that prostitutes, gays and lesbians are out there. We need to get them involved in this fight if we are to win it” Satellite North Councillor Oratile Tumedi pleaded with his colleagues.

Lesego Kwambala of Itekeng Ward said it’s time to stare reality in the face if the war on HIV/AIDS is to be won.

“Gays, lesbians and sex workers are alive in Francistown. We see them streets and allies every day and night. We must accept the sex workers, gays and lesbians and incorporate them into the HIV/AIDS fight. It’s time we stopped hiding behind our fingers and face reality. ” Kwambala said.

Councillor Gaone Majere thinks that before being drawn into the fight gays, lesbians and sex workers must given some light on the subject.

“We need to educate the on matters if HIV/AIDS and let them know and feel we have accepted them” Majere told his audience.

For his part former City Mayor Peter Ngoma said efforts serious steps must be taken to bring such people into the war against HIV/AIDS.

“We can win this fight in partnership with gays, lesbians and sex workers. Their practices may be against the law and religious convictions but we must incorporate them into this fight if we are to win it. Let’s bring them closer to us” Ngoma said.

Meanwhile Specially Elected Councillor Zazani Tuelo believes that the fight against the HIV /AIDs scourge can be overcome by resurrecting Non Governmental Organisations.

“Without NGOs we cannot win this fight. NGOs talk freely about and to gays, lesbians and sex workers and this helps a lot” Tuelo said. Source: The Voice