Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) founder member Edward Mavundla, who died on Wednesday an hour before Aids activists arrived to visit him, made a deathbed call for world support for the organisation.
”I am urging the people all over the world to support (the) TAC to show solidarity with South Africa — we (the HIV-positive) are dying,” Mavundla said on Tuesday night, shortly before he died, according to a transcript of his last statement released by TAC lawyer Nathan Geffen on Wednesday.
The TAC is demanding the government implement a nationwide HIV/Aids treatment plan.
Mavundla was being treated for tuberculosis in Johannesburg hospital. They had been using Mavundla’s illness to personalise the disease. Supporters of the organisation had visited him in hospital and held public vigils for him in the previous weeks.
On Wednesday, Congress of SA Trade Unions general-secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and Aids activists arrived at the hospital to show solidarity with Mavundla, but were instead told he had died an hour prior to the visit.
Mavundla said in his statement: ”People must support (the) TAC because the government is dragging its feet for four years. TAC is negotiating with the government to implement a national treatment plan.
”We want ordinary people in South Africa to have these antiretrovirals. It is no good for me to be on antiretrovirals and my friends on the ground are dying.”
Geffen said Mavundla’s health worsened over the last two months. Ironically, about a week ago, a source of antiretroviral medicines was secured for him. However, his CD4 count had already fallen to below 20. The CD4s are a type of white blood cell that play an important role in the immune system and are a major target for the human immunodeficiency virus.
He also had tuberculosis and it was impossible for him to start taking antiretroviral medicines unless he recovered from the tuberculosis.
He also had pneumonia and kidney failure. Speaking at the hospital after hearing of Mavundla’s death, Vavi said: ”It is difficult news, as I find myself connected to (Mavundla) … all the people who started TAC are now all almost gone.”
Vavi said Mavundla ”stood out” among HIV/Aids sufferers because he was still active, despite his illness.
The trade unionist said Mavundla, who enjoyed writing poems, had joked that he was going to write a poem about President Thabo Mbeki.
Geffen said Mavundla was survived by three children, his wife and mother.
”He was just 36. Many who attended the TAC/Cosatu treatment congress in June last year or the ‘Stand Up for Our Lives’ march to Parliament on February 14 will remember his unique brand of poetry recitals which galvanised audiences to action.”
He said Mavundla had played a central role in the TAC’s Gauteng activities. Cosatu also released a statement on Mavundla’s death in which it sent its deepest condolences to his ”family and comrades”.
”Edward’s personal tragedy highlights the hundreds of other tragedies experienced by people living with HIV/Aids. He should not have died. He is one of hundreds whose lives could have been saved if they had had access to antiretroviral medicines at an earlier stage,” Cosatu said.
”They would still be with us and Edward (Mavundla) would still be playing his leading role in the TAC campaign for a national treatment programme.
”The best way to remember Edward will be for the campaign to be taken to new heights and more and more pressure exerted on government and business to sign the draft Nedlac agreement on a national HIV/Aids prevention and treatment plan and to make sure that it is implemented as fast as possible.” – Sapa