MEDIA RELEASE
7 October 2026
SANAC CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM (CSF) CALLS FOR STRONGER ACCOUNTABILITY, INCLUSIVE REPRESENTATION AND MEANINGFUL CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION
The SANAC Civil Society Forum (CSF) held its Quarterly Leadership Meeting on 6–7 October 2026 at the Holiday Inn Garden Court in Benoni. The meeting brought together civil society leadership from across sectors and provinces to take stock of progress and sharpen the Forum’s political and strategic programme in HIV, TB & STIs.
The meeting took place against a backdrop of persistent challenges confronting communities affected by HIV, tuberculosis (TB), sexually transmitted infections (STIs), substance use, poverty, inequality and barriers to quality healthcare.
The CSF leadership used the meeting to reaffirm that civil society cannot be treated merely as a consultation partner. It is a critical constituency and an essential accountability mechanism in South Africa’s health response. For it to be effective and efficient, the CSF must be adequately funded by the SANAC Trust, government and other funding partners.
“Civil society must have a voice where decisions are made, but more importantly, that voice must have influence. The communities represented through the CSF cannot be invited into processes simply to legitimise decisions that have already been taken. Meaningful participation requires resources, voice, transparency, accountability and shared decision-making.” said CSF Chairperson, Solly Nduku.
The meeting reviewed progress on SANAC Committee reports, sector reports and provincial reports. The meeting emphasised the need to move beyond reporting for its own sake towards measurable implementation and accountability. From these reports, CSF committed to:
1. Strengthenand support sectors so that they exist and are effective at national, provincial, district and local levels. 2. Support Provincial Sectors to play a meaningful role in representing community voices in the Provincial Council on AIDS. 3. Support the participation of CSF in Civil Society South Africa. This participation must result in those deployed in this body to get mandate from the CSF and report back to the CSF to ensure accountability. 4. CSF must prepare to play a meaningful role in the forthcoming GC8 processes to deliver gains for civil society despite the decline in funding allocation by the Global Fund to South Africa. 5. CSF affirmed it support to the National Dialogue process and it will continue to participate in this process to contribute to the voices of citizens in advocating for a better South Africa we deserve.
The CSF called for SANAC structures to ensure that resolutions are translated into action and that progress is consistently communicated to the constituencies whose lives are directly affected by these decisions. Those deployed will also be monitored and supported to ensure that they represent the issues advocated and advanced by the CSF.
Solly Nduku outlined that “A report is not an outcome. A resolution is not implementation. We need a SANAC system in which commitments are tracked, responsibilities are clear and communities can see whether decisions are actually improving lives.”
The CSF will continue strengthening its internal reporting and accountability mechanisms while demanding the same level of accountability across all SANAC structures.
A key priority of the meeting was the development of a stronger CSF approach to advocacy around National Health Insurance (NHI). In this regard, CSF will establish a Study Group on the NHI to ensure greater understanding, amplified advocacy and awareness about the NHI. The Study Group will operate at national, provincial, district and local levels.
The CSF believes that the NHI conversation must be firmly rooted in the constitutional right to healthcare. The CSF is acutely aware of the lived realities of communities that continue to unequal access to quality healthcare. This status quo will be changed with the NHI is in operation.
The Forum will therefore deepen its advocacy and public engagement around NHI, with particular attention to ensuring that poor, vulnerable and marginalised communities are not left behind.
“The NHI cannot simply be a government policy conversation. It must become a people-centred conversation. Those who depend most heavily on the public health system must be at the table when its future is being designed and implemented.” said Mabalane Mfundisi, CSF Co-Chairperson of the Programme Review Committee.
The CSF committed to watch developments around legal processes surrounding the NHI so that at the appropriate moment, it can join the proceedings as the friend of the court.
The meeting also advanced discussions on the adoption of the Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI) as an important step towards the institutionalisation and long-term sustainability of the CSF. A decision on voting for the adoption of the Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI) was postponed to allow sectors and provinces to further consult before voting at the next quartely meeting.
The leadership stressed that a strong and independent civil society constituency requires appropriate governance arrangements, clear accountability, transparent decision-making and institutional stability that must underpin the MoI that will ultimately be voted for.
“The institutionalisation of the CSF is not about creating another bureaucracy. It is about building a durable civil society vehicle capable of representing communities, holding systems accountable and sustaining advocacy beyond individual programmes, personalities and funding cycles.” said Sheila Mbele, 1st Deputy Chairperson of the CSF.
The CSF leadership will advance the necessary processes towards the adoption of the MOI, in consultation with its constituent sectors and provinces.
The CSF noted the March 2025 Lekgotla resolution about the recognition of People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) as the 19th sector within the Civil Society Forum. The decision represents an important step towards ensuring that communities directly affected by substance use have an organised and legitimate platform through which to participate in policy, planning, implementation and monitoring. A vote on this matter was delayed to a date in the future to allow sectors and provinces to further consult before the matter is voted for in line with the CSF Terms of Reference.
The meeting further considered the SANAC Standardisation Framework, recognising the importance of consistent standards, systems and approaches across sectors and provinces. The CSF stressed that standardisation must strengthen how SANAC operates at national, provincial, district and local levels. The CSF called for the Lekgotla of SANAC to discuss Standardisation to take place as soon as possible as a precondition for the matter to be presented for a decision at the SANAC Plenary.
"What we need is a common framework for accountability and effectiveness while protecting the independence and legitimate priorities of each constituency in SANAC.” said Solly Nduku, CSF Chairperson.
The CSF also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its partnership with the SANAC Private Sector Forum (PSF). The leadership identified opportunities for collaboration around resource mobilisation, advocacy, innovation, sustainability and joint initiatives that can contribute to the national HIV, TB and STI response. What remains is for the CSF leadership to provide a mandate for the Coordinating Committee on the issue of the PSF being an additional Co-Chairperson in the SANAC structures. The CSF will host a special meeting within 2 weeks where this issue and other issues will be finalised so that the Coordinating Committee has a clear mandate.
This Quarterly Leadership Meeting also included engagement with the Minister of Health, Dr Pakishe Aaron Motsoaledi. The engagement provided an opportunity for CSF leadership to raise strategic concerns and priorities directly with the Minister and to discuss the role of civil society in strengthening South Africa’s health response.
The meeting resulted in agreed next steps for continued engagement, with the CSF emphasising the importance of converting commitments into practical action.
“We appreciate the Minister’s engagement with civil society. However, dialogue must lead to action. Our responsibility as civil society leadership is to engage constructively, but also to hold government accountable for the commitments that emerge from that engagement.” said Mluleki Zazini, 2nd Deputy Chairperson of the CSF.
The CSF will closely monitor progress against the agreed next steps and maintain engagement with the Presidency as the Chairperson of SANAC, Ministry of Health, SANAC Trust, PSF and other critical stakeholders.
The Benoni meeting reaffirmed the CSF’s commitment to building a stronger, more coordinated and more politically effective civil society movement capable of influencing policy, mobilising communities and demanding accountability.
The CSF leadership emphasised that the fight against HIV, TB and STIs cannot be separated from the broader struggles against poverty, inequality, unemployment, stigma, discrimination and inadequate access to quality healthcare.
“The CSF will not be a passive participant in South Africa’s health agenda. We will organise, advocate, mobilise and hold institutions accountable. Our mandate comes from the communities and constituencies we represent, and we intend to use that mandate responsibly and decisively” said Solly Nduku.
The Forum will now focus on translating the outcomes of the Quarterly Leadership Meeting into a clear programme of action, with defined responsibilities, timelines and mechanisms for monitoring implementation.
The CSF calls on government, SANAC, development partners, the private sector and all civil society constituencies to strengthen their commitment to a genuine partnership in which community voices are heard, decisions are transparent, commitments are implemented and accountability is non-negotiable.
ENDS Issued by the SANAC Civil Society Forum (CSF)
For media enquiries: Dr. Mlungisi Ntshangase mlungisi@sanac.org.za