Abstract
Education is an indispensable tool for total economic emancipation in Africa and elsewhere. This is why it is a great cause for concern that teachers, who are the main drivers of education, are so strongly affected by HIV/AIDS. A large part of the profound impact of HIV/AIDS is felt in education and threatens the quality of education. The study examined how principals are managing the challenges due to absenteeism amongst teachers living with HIV/AIDS. A narrative inquiry design situated in the qualitative research approach was used together with narrative interviews to elicit qualitative data. The study was embedded within the social constructivist paradigm. Transformational leadership and ethics of care formed the theoretical framework of this study. The qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data. The key findings speak to how the principals maintain quality of instructional effectiveness through substituting sick and absent teachers using a relief system. They support, empower and advise teachers. Principals should be provided with support from the Department of Education to replace teachers timeously before teaching and learning are disrupted.