AIDS Consortium's Memorandum to Pres. Mbeki. 28/08/07

 Dear President Mbeki

 We are deeply distressed regarding the state of health care services in our country and would like to record these concerns. Having travelled a long and arduous journey to democracy and freedom, we appeal to you to apply the same determined and focussed tactics against our new struggle, HIV and AIDS, until victory is achieved. Our Freedom Charter states that ‘South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people’ whilst our world class constitution commits to the right for all to life, dignity and health care services. Whilst we are aware of the deluge of negative press around much of the recent events in the health sector, we would like to distil our points into three main areas of concern:

1      Former Deputy Minister of Health Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge stood out as a leader, mentor, role model, team player, comrade, and shining light, who brought a sense of hope to our work. We have experienced her as transparent, courageous, approachable, accountable, inclusive, respectful, whilst at the same time challenging and determined to stand up for the people and halt the genocide (yes, the death of over 900 preventable deaths daily cannot be seen as anything else)

 Her achievements stretch broadly across providing ART for the military, negotiation towards ART for prisoners, mass and unprecedented unification of government and civil society, denouncement of denialism and endorsement of scientific evidence, open admission and action on the public health crisis, regaining of international credibility, co-leadership in restructuring of SANAC and the development of a sound and target driven NSP. This list is by no means conclusive.

 2      Human and gender rights – relieving the former minister on the eve of women’s day makes a mockery of all that women’s day stands for. Ms Madlala-Routledge is the epitome of the type of woman we esteem and remember on this day. With gender power imbalances and human rights violations being at the very epicentre of the HIV epidemic, AIDS activists are working hard to assist woman in knowing their rights and exercising their voice to assert those rights. Expression of convictions and refusal to accept an untenable status quo are ideals that we, as a country, have fought for and are to be upheld and supported, particularly in women. Your leadership and endorsement in breaking down destructive gender stereotypes and power imbalances is desperately required. We ask that you take courage and speak truth to power by encouraging even uncomfortable transparency and not oppressing the voice of truth.

 3      The Minister of Health – without getting into the complex and unpleasant debates ensuing around our current Minister of Health, we call for her immediate dismissal on the basis of the current dismal state of our health system and her poor performance. The public health sector is buckling under the strain of insufficient resources, a serious shortage of health professionals, and poor management. Every day about 900 South Africans needlessly die of AIDS-related conditions[1] , TB soars out of control, 23,000 babies die annually in the first month of their lives; thousands more are stillborn,[2] , all of this whilst budgets remain mismanaged as reported by the Public Service Accountability Monitor. Since Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang’s appointment as National Minster of Health more than one million South Africans have died of AIDS-related conditions.[3] This depicts an utter failure of her ability to fulfil her mandate and renders her unsuitable for the position of Health Minister, based entirely on utterly poor performance.

We the undersigned call for:

  Yours sincerely

 And endorsed by undersigned affiliates