/ 18 May 2000

ANC CAUCUS CHAIR SLATES CALL FOR PUBLIC HIV TESTS

THABANG Makwetla, the chairman of the ANC’s parliamentary caucus, on Thursday slated Pan Africanist Congress MP Patricia de Lille’s attempt to get political leaders to volunteer to be tested publically for HIV. “Intimidating MPs to submit themselves to a public test of their HIV status is unethical and a blatant persecution of public representatives,” he said in a statement. Makwetla denied reports that he had challenged ANC MPs to disclose their HIV status.