BiAS 7 – The Bible and Politics in Africa
The Bible describes children as part of the religious community or cove-
nant community and they have to be respected and taught within this
community, not only by the parents in their early lives but also later by
the priests and others responsible. (See also the book of Dube 2003 on
the use of the Bible in sermons directed to people, families and children
living with HIV/AIDS).
The Namibian Situation
HIV/AIDS and children
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare notes that around
140 000 children in Namibia under the age of fifteen are registered as
orphans with the Ministry (quoted from Die Republikein, May 2010). It is
estimated that Namibia will have over 250 000 orphans by 2021 (Hop-
wood, Hunter & Kellner 2007:10). This potential figure should be com-
pared with a population size of only 2,3 million people. They further
quote the Ministry of Health and Social Services as projecting an in-
creased morbidity and mortality on young adults, with 38% of boys and
48% of girls who are assumed to be HIV negative on their 15th birthday
dying before they reach their 40th birthday” (ibid.). “The HIV/AIDS
epidemic has already reduced the average life span of a newborn Namib-
ian by more than a decade” (National Planning Commission 2004:25).
This report further notes that the epidemic has “a particularly disturbing
impact on children” (ibid.).
The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is immense on the Namibian
society. The 2008 National HIV Sentinel Survey (p. 28) in Namibia indi-
cates that the highest age specific prevalence rate was observed in the
age group 30-34. These are the young adults who are or should become
economically active and who normally already have children. It is further
observed that progress towards preventing or slowing down HIV infec-
tion in the age group 25 to 44 is slow. (See also the Ministry of Health
and Social Services report of 2008b:5). In this group the vulnerability of
particularly young women stands out. A 2009 report of the Ministry of
Health and Social Services notes the following persons as those particu-
larly vulnerable to HIV infection:
- Young, educated, employed and urban women who are least likely to
abstain from sexual relations if not married, and most likely to have
multiple partners, and have sexual relations under the influence of
alcohol. These women, however, are also most likely to use con-