The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) is in the process of launching litigation against the government, TAC national chairperson Zackie Achmat said on Monday.
”We don’t only want to meet with the Minister [of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang], we want an urgent resolution on government procurement policy. Government has until the end of the this week,” said Achmat after addressing a public meeting in Cape Town.
Achmat said the TAC plans to meet Tshabalala-Msimang by the end of this week and if the government does not respond favourably to the issue of a procurement policy for medicines, it could find itself in court in two weeks.
”But we are seriously willing to hold back court [proceedings] if government does the right thing,” he said, adding that there are at least 50 places across the country, such as Johannesburg’s Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital, where doctors and nurses are hamstrung by a lack of medicines to treat HIV/Aids.
Addressing a captive audience in Cape Town’s city hall, Achmat said the TAC will remain apolitical and not support particular parties.
”Our job is to make sure every political party puts this [anti-retroviral treatment and HIV/Aids] at the front of their agenda,” he said, adding that while he was not sure if the TAC has any New National Party members, others certainly belong to the African National Congress, the Pan African Congress, a ”small” number to the Democratic Alliance and some to the Inkatha Freedom Party.
”We have a message for the ANC … We say, comrade Thabo [Mbeki], it’s nice to see [you] once in five years visiting our communities. We still want to see you visit hospitals where people are dying … and visit those people taking anti-retroviral treatment so that they can educate you,” said Achmat.
He said Tshabalala-Msimang is also not carrying out the Cabinet’s decisions to adopt the national roll-out plan, and likened her performance to underperforming workers who are fired as a result.
”How long must this go on? How long must our children die while Manto talks about beetroot?” asked Achmat. — Sapa
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