The decision by the South African government to approve a comprehensive roll-out of anti-retroviral drugs to treat HIV/Aids is a bittersweet victory, says opposition leader Tony Leon.
The Democratic Alliance leader said in his weekly online newsletter: “At long last, government has done the right thing.”
The government opted to roll out drugs at district and municipal centres around the country at its weekly meeting on Wednesday.
Leon said in the newsletter: “After years of pressure, a change has finally come, and South Africa can once again dare to look hopefully towards the future.
“But this is not a victory for the government. It is a victory for civil society, for thousands of ordinary people who marched in the streets, and for the political opposition, which kept the cause alive for the past four-and-a-half years.
“Still, this is a bittersweet victory. It comes after over a million lives have been lost to the disease — unnecessarily. Because of the delays and the distractions by President Thabo Mbeki and his executive, the number of dead will continue to rise each year for several years to come.”
Leon argued that the government, and the president “above all, owe the people of South Africa a grave apology”. — I-Net Bridge