| Johannesburg, South Africa. Thur, June 7, 2001 |
 |
| Hundreds of South Africans gathered at the Central Methodist
Church in Johannesburg to pay tribute to child Aids activist Nkosi Johnson,
who died last Friday. |
|
| Gail Johnson, Nkosi's foster mother, said she would continue
her work with Aids orphans and HIV-infected children. "Nkosi leaves
a legend of acceptance, tolerance and care for the HIV infected and the
Aids orphans. I'm not saying goodbye to him because he is still here,"
she told reporters after the service. |
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| Asked what she would remember most about the 12-year-old,
she replied with a smile: "That he always forgot to fill up the cat
food... and he told the (most terrible) jokes because he always forgot the
punchline". |
|
| Nkosi's biological grandmother Ruth Khumalo accompanied
by other family members also attended the service. She said the differences
between the foster and biological families over the funeral arrangements
had been sorted out. |
|
| The two families sat in a row at the front of the church
facing the congregation. A picture of Nkosi, dressed in a tuxedo and red
bow tie, was pasted onto pedestals inside and outside the church. Banners
on the walls of the church said: "Lala kahle Xolani Nkosi Johnson.
Let the love and courage of Xolani fill your heart with determination to
care for the infected and orphaned children in our land". |
|
| At the end of the sermon Johnson and Khumalo lit candles
in memory of Nkosi while the song "Time to say goodbye" by Sarah
Brightman and Andrea Bocelli was played in the background. They then started
lighting candles handed out earlier to each person in the church. |
|
| Also attending the memorial was the Johannesburg reflexologist
who claimed that Johnson was abusing Nkosi shortly before his death. Hilda
Khoza told reporters that the Sowetan newspaper had misinterpreted her comments.
She promised to take the issue further. |
|
| Deputy President Jacob Zuma said in a letter to the family
that it was a very sad day. "The death of this young fighter opens
up a challenge to all of us to examine the contribution we can make to reduce
the impact of Aids in our lives and those around us." |
|
| Nkosi died at his foster mother's house in Melville. He
was South Africa's longest surviving Aids victim. He attracted international
attention when he asked, in front of thousands of delegates at the 13th
International Aids Conference held in Durban last year, that AZT be given
to pregnant HIV-positive mothers. |
|
| Another memorial service will today be held for him in
Daveyton where his biological family stays. He will be buried from the Central
Methodist Church on Saturday. |