Since 2001 when he was first diagnosed with the disease, his career prospects and chances of being sent overseas have floundered.
For years tens of thousands of HIV-positive military men and women like him have faced a blanket ban.
A staggering 30% of South African soldiers are infected with the Aids virus. This reality plus a recent test case have forced the South African government to review its policy.
"When we are fighting or when we are doing peacekeeping work, we are not biting the people. We’re just being peacekeepers like anyone else," Mr Gumbi argues, dismissing fears that deploying soldiers with HIV is likely to increase the spread of the disease.
Voluntary testing?
After a test case brought by one of South Africa’s military unions and the Aids Law Project, the government reviewed the evidence and agreed that in certain circumstances HIV-positive soldiers can be deployed overseas if they pass a battery of some 39 fitness tests. "It means people who [have] HIV who are for instance on treatment and who have stabilized and meet minimum requirements will now qualify to be recruited deployed and promoted," explains S’khumbuzo Maphumulo, the lawyer in the case.
In what has been called a "nuanced policy", the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) now has to consider each case on its merits and assess the operational requirements of each post.
Source: Africa World News