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Africa Subsaharan
'Terrible silence' over Mbeki's record on Aids
2006-08-20
A South African Aids campaigner has called on world leaders to speak out against the government of Thabo Mbeki, which he claims is responsible for the continuing but unnecessary devastation wreaked in his country by Aids.

Eight hundred people die from Aids in South Africa every day, said Mark Heywood, of the Aids Law Project at the University of the Witwatersrand and the Treatment Action Campaign (Tac). "We're treating only 17% of people with Aids. What is happening in South Africa is a human rights violation that needs leadership from outside of South Africa to address the crisis being created by the South African government." But, he said at the International Aids Conference in Toronto on Thursday, there was "a terrible silence" from the world. "Bill Clinton can't get the words out of his mouth to criticise Thabo Mbeki. Kofi Annan can't criticise Thabo Mbeki ... The long-term consequences for South Africa are enormous.
Can't criticize Mr. Mbeki, just wouldn't look right for the left-progressive crowd to hit one of their own.
"This crisis has to be broken somehow. The African Union and the G8 and the EU have to speak out about it. The British government, who are silent on this question, have to find a way to intervene."

South Africa has 200,000 people on antiretroviral drugs for Aids, of whom 130,000 are treated in the public sector. But about 700,000 people with HIV need the drugs and will soon die without them. Mr Heywood said there had been a lack of government will to roll out the treatment programme, after Mr Mbeki said he did not believe HIV caused Aids, and more recently health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said she had more faith in lemon and garlic to treat Aids than in drugs.
Posted by:Steve White

#7  I hope that we are getting our ducks in line with respect to stragetic metals and elements before South Africa goes into the heart of darkness, where it is headed.
Posted by: Alaska Paul back home   2006-08-20 19:43  

#6  Dis reg Fordesque, I completely agree with your assessment. Tragically, I fear we have not seen the worst yet in Africa.
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-08-20 12:21  

#5  "World leaders" went on to more media-visible matters after apartheid ended and the ANC took over. Besides, it is not nice to criticise former communist-supported thugs turned African national leaders.

Zuma will be the final-nail. He is just a slightly smarter version of Mugabe.
Posted by: Fordesque   2006-08-20 12:12  

#4  Dr.

Try to mentally capture this crude analogy. Here in this country we sometimes hear it said that "our system of government is distressing and oftentimes disappointing, but it's the best in the world" I suspect few would argue that fact.

In Rhodesia and South Africa before Mugabe and Mandela, the system labeled "apartheid" (Afrikaans for seperation)was also "distressing and disappointing" but it was the finest Africa had to offer. In sad retrospect, i suspect few would argue that fact either.

Communists, facists and totalitarian regimes have always pointed to the 'oppression of the people' and the need for revolution and overthrow. Nothing much new under the sun.
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-08-20 10:49  

#3  Scary thought. South Africa had most everything it needed when it got rid of apartheid; it could have been a real success. If Zuma comes in my bet is most of the white population bails (Australia?).
Posted by: Steve White   2006-08-20 09:48  

#2  The stage is being set for Jacob Zuma. When he takes office he'll make Zimbob look quite benevolent.
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-08-20 07:05  

#1  more recently health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said she had more faith in lemon and garlic to treat Aids than in drugs.

Lemon and garlic would work assuming they haven't yet found out about brushing their teeth or Mbeki hasn't denounced it as voodoo.
Posted by: gorb   2006-08-20 02:58  

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