SA's trans community struggles to access treatment after US funding cuts

CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit is joined by Lwazi Mazibuko, Programmes Manager at Parents, Families & Friends of South African Queers.

Listen below:

Members of South Africa's transgender community are counting the cost of US President Donald Trump's funding cuts for programmes like the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and other support grants.

In March, the US ended almost all foreign development assistance globally.

Overnight, clinics providing support and treatment to millions of South Africans were forced to close.

For some trans people it has meant the cutting off of access to life-changing gender-affirming care and medication such as hormone therapies.

"Those organisations eventually had to close all their services, which was putting us - the community - in a distressing situation."

- Lwazi Mazibuko, Programmes Manager - Parents, Families & Friends of South African Queers

Mazibuko says in the initial period after the funding cuts, clinics and NGOs tried to offer alternative options to clients.

"The first week [they said] they will try and refer their clients to the public healthcare."

- Lwazi Mazibuko, Programmes Manager - Parents, Families & Friends of South African Queers

"Most of us know that with the public healthcare, some of them are a step backwards when it comes to their attitude and how they handle or deliver their service."

- Lwazi Mazibuko, Programmes Manager - Parents, Families & Friends of South African Queers

Mazibuko says accessing treatment privately is simply unaffordable for many trans patients.

"It is very expensive. Consultation - plus or minus R600... from there you have to do the blood work - R1000, that's after you've done therapy for six months to a year, and then shots for your hormonal care... an injection is 1ml is R100."

- Lwazi Mazibuko, Programmes Manager - Parents, Families & Friends of South African Queers

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