Home Affairs Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi says it is saddening that foreign countries appeared to be more concerned about the war on HIV/Aids than some local representatives, and he pointed to the country’s own president as an example.
Speaking in Parliament today in the debate on the State of the Nation speech delivered by President Thabo Mbeki on Friday, the Inkatha Freedom Party leader took pains to praise US President George Bush who committed $1,5-billion to fight the pandemic on the continent of Africa. “I find it remarkable that while the United States is involved in the type of conflicts and concerns now troubling it, it still finds the time and has the care in making such an enormous amount of money available for the ailing people of Africa.”
Referring to the State of the Nation speech, Buthelezi said: “I was disappointed that our president did not mention HIV/Aids by name in the address which ought to be our main concern.”
“Every day I cannot think of anything but HIV/Aids and my conscience is torn to pieces because I know that we are not doing enough to deal with this issue. Our people are dying, not by the hundreds or the thousands, but by the tens of thousands.”
“We need to make more of our own money available for the war on Aids and develop the capacity to spend it. It is beyond my comprehension that citizens of South Africa, including allies of the ruling party, should have to march against their own government to request and obtain treatment which is something that should be provided as a function of caring for people,” he said, referring to the march on Parliament on Friday by Aids activists. – I-Net-Bridge