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CAPE TOWN PROFESSOR WINS BILL VENTER/ALTRON’S 21ST AWARD FOR BOOK ON AIDS
Thursday, June 12, 2008

The annual Bill Venter/Altron Literary Award for the most outstanding academic printed work in the humanities and natural sciences is celebrating its 21st anniversary this year.

The 2008 prize of R75 000 has been awarded to Professor Nicoli Jean Nattrass from the University of Cape Town for her internationally acclaimed book on “The Moral Economy of Aids in South Africa.”

Professor Nattrass’s winning book was chosen by an independent adjudication panel chaired by Land Claims Court Judge Fikile Bam for the way in which it deals with HIV Aids, one of our country’s most important and sensitive issues. In her book she provides original thoughts and solutions to the socio-economic issues surrounding Aids, stressing, for example, that the treatment of the HIV positive pregnant mother is essential. She candidly highlights the economic inequality and the poverty in our society and the effect this has on families.

Twenty five outstanding literary works were submitted by university professors from all over South Africa for adjudication and the winning book was highly acclaimed for the enormous impact it would have on society, resulting in the improvements of living standards as well as providing significantly scientific advances on this high profile subject.

The book is already playing a major role in modifying the Government’s Aids Policy and provides many original thoughts and solutions to socio-economic issues about HIV/Aids.

This year marks the 21st anniversary of the founding of the Bill Venter/Altron Literary Award which recognises outstanding contributions to research published in book form by academia throughout South Africa. More than R1 million has been expended on promoting outstanding literary works of academic authors during the past 21 years.

This year the award ceremony took place at a glittering banquet at the Westcliff Hotel in Johannesburg on Thursday, 13 June 2008 attended by leading government representatives and businessmen. The guest speaker, Musa Njoko, is one of South Africa’s well known experts on HIV/Aids. She is also one of the first South African women to disclose publicly her HIV status and is a consultant to the United Nations, among others, on this disease.

The event was hosted by Altron Group Chairman and donor of the prize, Dr Bill Venter, Altron’s Chief Executive, Robbie Venter and the Chairperson of the Board of Control, Judge Fikile Bam, the Judge-President of the Land Claims Court.

ENDS

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF: THE BILL VENTER FOUNDATION AND ALTRON

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

GRANT ROGERSON

ALTRON GROUP EXECUTIVE: CORPORATE RELATIONS

CELLULAR NUMBER: 082 320 1010

EMAIL: grogerson@altron.co.za

Page updated: 2 September, 2008

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