South Africa’s ruling African National Congress has condemned the ”deplorable behaviour” and what it described as ”abusive utterances” of members of the HIV/Aids lobbyist group, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) at the Aids conference in Toronto, Canada.
Activists apparently called on South African Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang to be fired.
In a statement on Friday, spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama said: ”This includes the disruptive behaviour of some TAC members at the South African government’s exhibition on Wednesday, at which officials were allegedly threatened and property damaged.”
Ngonyama said while such confrontational posturing may be necessary for the maintenance of the TAC’s international profile, ”it does nothing to strengthen the country’s comprehensive response to HIV and Aids”.
He said the ANC also viewed as unacceptable statements attributed to TAC member Mark Heywood and United Nations special envoy on Aids in Africa Stephen Lewis against Tshabalala-Msimang.
”Whatever criticisms they may have of South Africa’s policies on HIV and Aids, they have no right to personalise these policies. In implementing South Africa’s comprehensive programme to combat HIV and Aids, Tshabalala-Msimang is implementing the decisions of the South African government.”
”These decisions are based on the policy positions of the ANC, overwhelmingly endorsed by the people of South Africa in successive national elections.”
Heywood was quoted as saying that the minsiter of health’s comment — that people in rural areas should be allowed to make up their own minds about whether they preferred alternative medicines to antiretrovirals — was an abdication of responsibility. He argued that people needed to be given information that could save their lives.
Ngonyama said further: ”We should not allow the reckless bluster of the TAC to deter us, as a nation, from working together in partnership to address the serious challenges we face in a spirit of cooperation and sincere engagement.”
Earlier it was reported that Tshabalala-Msimang had condemned the vandalising of the South African exhibit — which was apparently stocked with beetroot, lemon and garlic, the ingredients that she says are key to fighting HIV/Aids.
Meanwhile in South Africa, about 35 TAC members who earlier on Friday occupied Western Cape provincial government offices in Cape Town were arrested.
They had, ironically, been calling for the arrest of Tshabalala-Msimang. They were reported to have been charged with trespassing. — I-Net Bridge