Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has denied seeking to seize control of the country’s HIV/Aids programme while the health minister is recovering from an illness.
The Star newspaper on Monday reported her as saying that she had no idea where the story came from.
A weekend report said Mlambo-Ngcuka and Deputy Health Minister Nizizwe Madlala-Routledge had begun steering the HIV/Aids programme in a new direction since Manto Tshabalala-Msimang fell ill last month.
Aids lobbying bodies said there had been a noticeable shift in the government’s attitude in the minister’s absence.
Mlambo-Ngcuka disputed these observations on Sunday.
”I’m doing my work as deputy president of the country, co-ordinating partnerships with all people working in this area, because we believe this great work can be done together,” she said.
”The minister of health is sick and the deputy minister continues to do the work that all deputy ministers do, and I don’t think you should try and make this so dramatic.” – Sapa