Tomorrow, South Africans will take to the polls to elect national and provincial leaders for the country. These elections will be the fourth held in South Africa’s 15-year-old democracy, and will represent one of the most diverse races for power in the southern African country since the end of apartheid rule.

 During this battle for power, the various political parties and leaders have been scrutinised for their proposed policies on the economy and other important sectors such as health and education.

 During any election race – be it for selection of municipal, provincial or national leadership – it should be the role of HIV reporters to analyse the manifestos put forward by candidates for important information pertaining to HIV policy reform and review. This helps journalists to fulfill the crucial watchdog role that they are tasked with as representatives of the general public.

 Point to consider:                                                                                                    

          Free, fair and regular elections are an important part of a functional democracy. As part of this, it is essential that the rights of all people, including those living with HIV, are upheld. Reporters should bear in mind their specific issues and concerns when conducting research for articles around elections.

          How accessible are polling stations and other facilities to those within your community, particularly those living with HIV or AIDS, who might find it difficult to stand or queue for long hours?

          HIV, AIDS and TB represent serious threats to effective governance of nations. How prominently do issues around these areas appear in the manifestos of politicians in your area country, when elections are held?     

          How far have leaders in your country gone in implementing health-related activities and plans that they campaigned around in the past round of elections?