A new National Aids Council (Nac) board chaired by Nester Mukwehwa was elected last Friday with some new faces making their way to the country’s Aids response coordinating board.
The 12-member and gender-balanced board was appointed by the Health minister Douglas Mombeshora.
Other board members are Jaison Dzvetero (vice-chairperson), Matthew Mare, Tendayi Westerhof, Gilbert Chahwanda, Mabel Buzuzi, Rumbidzayi Zinyuke, Isheanesu Nkomo, Jaison Muradzikwa, Beatrice Dupwa, Ralphel Tsivama, Ntombizanele Vella, Wenceslas Nyamayaro, and Bernard Madzima who is the chief executive officer.
Mukwehwa in her acceptance speech said they were ready to serve.
“As the new board chair, I have accepted the responsibility on behalf of the board,” she said.
“It’s a huge responsibility. We are looking at the broad mandate of the National Aids Council, of coordinating and implementing programmes that are targeting the ending of HIV and Aids by 2030.
“And as you can see, 2030 is just around the corner, so we have a lot of work to do.”
She said the board was well balanced, with people coming from diverse backgrounds.
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“All the prerequisite skills that one would look for in a board are in this board,” she said.
“It’s well spread, and I have every confidence that as a team we will deliver on the mandate.”
Mombeshora challenged the board on strengthening the mobilisation of resources.
“You are also to uphold national as well as the council values, such as transparency, accountability, integrity, professionalism, innovation, inclusiveness, as well as teamwork, in all your actions and decisions,” he said.
“You will provide strategic leadership to the council. The fight against HIV and Aids requires innovative and forward-thinking leadership.
“Leaders are further required to be servants of the people of Zimbabwe.
“You will be required to mobilise resources and develop sustainable strategies.
“The Aids levy has been a vital domestic resource complemented by significant funding from the donor community.”
Mombeshora said the HIV funding landscape was changing with donors reducing funding for the response.
Madzima said the mandate of the new board was to see the overall implementation of the Zimbabwe National Aids strategic plan, which goes up to 2028.
“We have various experts, we have public health experts, legal experts, finance experts, and in the end it’s represented in the board,” he said.
Nac was established through the Act of Parliament of 1999 to coordinate and facilitate the national multi-sectoral response to HIV and Aids.
It is also mandated to administer the National Aids Trust Fund (NATF) collected through the Aids Levy, thus the 3% collected from every worker's taxable income (PAYE) and corporate tax.
