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SABCOHA is based in Johannesburg, Gauteng. The organisation has a chairperson (Jackie Tau of Aspen Pharmacare) and two patrons (Justice Edwin Cameron and Prof Bongani Khumalo) and is run by a CEO (Brad Mears) who reports to the Board of Governors. The board consists of representatives from member companies and other appropriate stakeholders and individuals. SABCOHA is bound by its Articles of Association, which make provision for a governing committee of at least five members appointed by the board. The committee’s role is to develop an agenda around business’s response to HIV/AIDS. This committee meets regularly in Johannesburg. SABCOHA is also active in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern, Northern and Western Cape. GautengResearching the impact of HIV on business is a key role of the organisation. The Johannesburg office collaborates with and supports local and international research institutions and projects to this end. The sharing of information, including formal research and practical workplace experience among its members is another key role of the Johannesburg office. Communication with members and stakeholders takes place via its website, regular meetings, workshops, breakfasts, newsletters, conferences and annual reports. Training of micro enterprise owners (BizAIDS) SABCOHA has received a grant from the Gauteng department of health to train 440 micro enterprise owners in the Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Metsweding areas under the BizAIDS umbrella project. The coalition is contacting the HIV/AIDS co-ordinators in these municipalities to introduce BizAIDS to them. The project runs from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009. BizAIDS is a tool to help very small and micro enterprises owners prepare for HIV/AIDS and related emergencies. Click here for more information on the project. Click here for more information on SABCOHA events. Northern CapeAt the initiative of BHP Billiton, SABCOHA embarked on a process to consolidate the private sector's response to HIV and AIDS in the Northern Cape. This culminated in the appointment of the SABCOHA Northern Cape Branch Board of Governors at an inaugural breakfast session held at the Kimberley Club on 26 March 2009. The Board comprises representation from every municipal district. The following 9 representatives shall serve a 2-year term:
James Manis was elected as Chairman of the Board and Faried Sallie was elected as Vice-chairman of the Board. Designated roles and responsibilities in terms of representing the private sector on multi-sectoral AIDS councils at provincial and district level shall be communicated in due course. In the meantime, get to know your Governors and brief profiles of each governor are given below. The coalition seeks to bring together business leaders and private sector HIV experts from across the province to consider and agree on a business sector HIV and AIDS strategy and response programme that addresses district and provincial needs. Given that the government is the lead agency for giving effect to the HIV & AIDS and STI National Strategic Plan 2007-2011 (NSP), senior government representatives at a provincial and district level have also been invited to attend. SABCOHA hosted a Northern Cape private sector conference on 25 and 26 November 2008 in Upington. About 30 chief executives and operations managers of independently managed business operations and employer organisations attended. The Governance Protocol: The working group appointed at the Northern Cape private sector conference on HIV and AIDS held in Upington on 25 and 26 November 2008 develop and adopted a governance protocol that provides for the establishment of a SABCOHA Branch in the Northern Cape Province. The protocol provides for the establishment of a Northern Cape Board of Governors. The composition, election process and roles and responsibilities of provincial governors are set out in the protocol. Nomination forms for the Northern Cape Board of Governors shall be made available shortly. In the meantime familiarise yourself with the contents of the protocol. Click here to view the protocol: Northern Cape Governance Protocol (March 2009) In addition to understanding provincial priorities, high-level bilaterals between business and government leaders at a district level will be structured into the programme in an effort to bridge the gap between strategy development and implementation. Copies of the NSP have been posted to conference delegates.
The coalition seeks to identify vulnerable business subsectors and SMMEs in the Northern Cape to which existing projects and programmes can be aligned or opportunities for expansion in partnership pursued. The success of this process depends upon the co-operation, knowledge sharing and capacity from big business, government and non-profit organisations operating within the province. Presentations/Reports:
Related articles: A Marais appointed to SABCOHA Northern Cape Branch Board of Governors SABCOHA Northern Cape Branch Board of Governors officially appointed For more information contact:
Liesel Köstlich, Facilitator: Northern Cape Coalition KwaZulu-NatalDurban Automotive Cluster (DAC)
This project has rapidly assumed flagship status and is an example of a well co-ordinated initiative. All the initial capacity building stages have been accomplished as management, steering committee and champion, as well as peer educator trainings have been completed. The next steps are VCT and treatment. Shell and BP South African Petroleum Refiners (Sapref)
The project has already made tremendous progress as the first cluster of 10 Sapref companies has participated in management training, steering committee and champion training, as well as peer educator training. The project is currently in the VCT awareness stage in preparation for VCT drives. In this way, it is hoped that as many supplier employees as possible within the Sapref site will be reached. Eastern CapeSABCOHA has been accepted as the private sector representative on the Eastern Cape AIDS Council. After extensive stakeholder discussions in East London and Port Elizabeth, significant progress has been achieved in strengthening and expanding the private sector's involvement in fighting HIV in the province. Nelson Mandela Metropole Business Coalition against HIV and AIDS To strengthen the response of business in the Nelson Mandela Metropole, it was agreed that private sector initiatives in Port Elizabeth would fall under the auspices of SABCOHA. Extensive progress was achieved in solidifying relationships with the Nelson Mandela Metropole University, the local and provincial AIDS councils, the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce (NAFCOC) and the Port Elizabeth Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Workplace responses: SABCOHA facilitated the development of a strategy for business in the Nelson Mandela Metropole in October 2006. It thanks Volkswagen SA for its enthusiastic support for the strategic development process. As part of this strategy, SABCOHA conducted a supply chain development initiative for Volkswagen SA which reached a number of small and medium-sized manufacturers. Further, in partnering with Netty Green, SABCOHA expanded its BizAIDS Programme to reach out to micro enterprises in Port Elizabeth. In early 2007, SABCOHA hosted two peer educator forums in support of the critical interventions made by workplace peer educators. With support from Daimler Chrysler and Volkswagen SA these forums provided a crucial opportunity for peer educators to share experiences and deal with problems common to different workplaces. It also provided an opportunity for peer educators to benefit from the outcomes of research by Prof David Dickinson (from Wits Business School) and the expertise of trainer Linzi Smith. Western Cape The fact that many SABCOHA members are based in the Western Cape has led to calls for a greater SABCOHA profile in the province. To this end SABCOHA hosted an event in August 2007 to begin mobilising business. With Clem Sunter (Anglo American), the late Dr Ivan Toms (Cape Town City Health) and Sipho Mtati (Treatment Action Campaign) as guest speakers, this event drew significant media profile and led to the holding of a strategic session in November 2006. The outcome of this session was the development of a Western Cape Strategy on HIV and AIDS. SABCOHA thanks Metropolitan for its generous support of this process, particularly the dedication of Nosipiwe Ngxabazi, which has led to better co-ordination of SABCOHA in the Western Cape. Regular meetings and brunches are held, where information is shared and activities are co-ordinated. Events: March 2008 Dr Francois Venter, a public sector HIV physician in South Africa, spoke to a packed audience at the University of Cape Town (UCT) Graduate School of Business on the topic HIV: Crisis, What crisis? The talk was hosted by SABCOHA and was very well attended. Click here to read more. |
SABCOHA in the Northern Cape (June 2008)
Northern Cape Private Sector Conference (November 2008)
Northern Cape Governance Protocol (March 2009)
SABCOHA signed an agreement with the Durban Automotive Cluster (DAC) in July 2008 to implement HIV/AIDS management programmes in their organisations' vendor supply chains.
SABCOHA signed an agreement with Shell and BP South African Petroleum Refiners (Sapref) in July 2008 to implement HIV/AIDS management programmes in their organisations' vendor supply chains.