The day Letti Matabane came out as HIV+

On the morning of World AIDS day 1 dec 2011, Isidingo actress Lesego Motsepe, who played Letti Matabane in the south African soapie Isindingo, followed in the footsteps of other world top celebrities  by going public with her HIV status.

She was interviewed on the morning show on KayaFM by Bob Mabena when she disclosed her HIV positive status.

She tweeted later on in the morning “Out and proud in more ways than one. God is love and I am a channel to help heal the wounds infected and affected. HIV is not who I am.”

Motsepe has been living with HIV for 13 years. She said “The virus lives in my blood. For 13 years I had known, and I wanted to use the opportunity God gave me to be able to be a mentor to those who will be going through the same struggles I have gone through.”

IT TOOK 13 years to get to the point where she felt confident enough to reveal her HIV-positive status.

Motsepe was talking to their breakfast show host, Bob Mabena, as part of an awareness-raising initiative for World Aids Day.

The actress said that she has been on antiretrovirals for just more than a year.

Recounting that her CD4 count was just 99 in October last year, she said she had been close to death’s door.

Recoup from Isindingo.
Ten years ago, Letti Matabane arrived on The Deep with her mother, Ma Agnes, and brother Parsons to join her father Zeb, who worked as a miner.She attended a model C school and, along with Parsons, befriended Dusty, Steve and Stuart. The friends formed a band and performed at Bra G's shebeen, which incensed Zeb to the point that he beat Letti.Her rebellious phase continued; she fell in love and lost her virginity to Sammy, a miner. That romance didn't last, though, and Letti, after completing her schooling, started interning as a journalist at The Golden Weekly. During this time, she started to date Vusi, but jeopardised the relationship by succumbing to the charms of playboy Dumisane.While preparing for her wedding to Vusi, Letti learned that she was pregnant - with Dumisane's child. She ended up marrying Dumisane, who was offered a BEE position by Barker Haines at ON! TV.Dumisane, Letti and Neo move in with the Haineses and Letti landed a news anchor position with the TV station. However, Dumisane's ambitions got the better of him and he made the grave mistake of going against Barker. Dumisane made a run for it and went abroad.Letti decided against leaving with him, especially after learning of his extra-marital affair with Bianca, and they divorced. She had a brief fling with Lucky, a floor manager at ON!TV,
 she also revealed on John Robbie's show on Talk Radio 702 that she had been living with the virus for almost 13 years.
She said she had come out because she wanted to make a difference in the lives of others after she suffered rejection when those close to her found out about her status.
"The virus lives in my blood. For 13 years I had known, and I wanted to use the opportunity God gave me to be a mentor to those who will be going through the same struggles I have gone through," she said.
She tweeted: "Out and proud in more ways than one. God is love and I am a channel to help heal the wounds of the infected and affected. HIV is not who I am."
Motsepe now joins a long list of South African celebrities living with the virus.Other celebrities who have gone public are HIV-Aids activist and businesswoman Criselda Kananda and late SABC1 weatherman and musician Jabu Sithole.
We salute her for her  decision and courage, Hasa hapa Kwetu Tanzania ambapo amekuwa ni star wa Meda mrefu toka mwisho wa miaka ya Tisini katika television ya ITV …….