South Africa: HIV-Testing Row in the Military

A recent row in South Africa over the deployment of HIV-positive soldiers on peacekeeping missions has turned the spotlight on the issue of HIV testing and the exclusion of HIV-positive individuals from the army. South Africa's Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota sparked controversy earlier this month when news reports quoted him as saying: "Anybody with the condition (HIV/AIDS) cannot be recruited (into the defence force)."