Socialist, Pacifist, Lawyer, Teacher, Gay Man: Hamba Kahle Ronald Louw 27/12/57 - 26/06/05 H[Aids ribbon icon]V Positive (front)


In addition to his roles in education and activism, Roland Louw was the first treasurer of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) in KwaZulu-Natal and a committed member and supporter of the Durban Lesbian and Gay Community and Health Centre. This T-shirt was made by TAC in commemoration of his life and work.

The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) was founded in 1998 to advocate for widespread access to AIDS treatment. One of its most significant victories was the 2002 Constitutional Court ruling in which the South African government was ordered to provide anti-retroviral drugs to prevent transmission of HIV from mothers to their babies during birth. In the years following the judgment, the TAC’s campaigns were instrumental in securing a universal government-provided AIDS treatment programme, which has since become the world’s largest. In 2006, the New York Times called the TAC “the world’s most effective AIDS group.” In 2007, in large part owing to pressure from the TAC, the National Strategic Plan on HIV, STIs and Tuberculosis 2007–2011 was adopted by Parliament.