Johannesburg - South Africa's leaders are planning a 15- minute work stoppage to commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1, according to the Sunday Times.

The decision, in a country particularly hard-hit by the auto- immune deficiency, is significant, given the unwillingness of the previous administration to take widely-accepted measures to stop the disease's spread.

There are an estimated 5.5 million people in South Africa who are considered HIV-positive. Being HIV-positive is the precursor step to full-blown AIDS.

Many have taken heart by the appointment of Barbara Hogan as health minister. She has signaled plans to reverse the spread of AIDS in a land where many still look to traditional herbal medicines.

The Sunday Times said the government of KwaZulu-Natal province recently approved an experiment in a regional hospice that centred on a herbal mixture concocted by an unemployed truck driver after a dream.

According to the paper, the 15-minute work stoppage on December 1 is supported by the government, industry, unions and aid organisations.

Additionally, church bells will sound that morning and drivers will be encouraged to drive on the edge of the road with their lights on.