IOL - News service, Monday, November 06, 2006
By Geoff Bough
The deputy president denied on Sunday that she and the deputy health minister were seeking to seize control of the country's HIV and Aids programme while Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is recovering from an illness.
The Sunday Times reported this weekend that Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Deputy Health Minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge had begun steering the country's HIV and Aids programme in a new direction since the health minister fell ill in early October.
"I don't know where that story comes from," Mlambo-Ngcuka said in an interview shortly after she addressed delegates to the international Jewish Catholic Liaison Commission meeting in Sea Point.
"I'm doing my work as the deputy president of the country, co-ordinating partnerships with all people who are working in this area, because we believe this great work can all be done together.
"The minister of health is sick at the present moment, 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."
Others, however, have started to see a noticeable shift in the government's HIV and Aids attitude that they believe started with the deputy president and deputy health minister.
"Both have shown a willingness to work with civil society," said senior attorney Fatima Hassan of the Aids Law Project. "If this is the response of the government then obviously it paves the way for organisations such as ours and we will be happy to work with them."
Hassan said that Madlala-Routledge had been prevented from talking about the HIV and Aids problem in SA for years under the health minister, but had since gained more leeway. "The way has been cleared for her and that is important," he said.
It was never more clear than at the Toronto Aids conference where Madlala-Routledge described some of the government promoted Aids treatments as "an embarrassment".
The Treatment Action Campaign has also seen the advantage of working with Mlambo-Ngcuka and Madlala- Routledge.
"They've repaired relations with civil society that the health minister has been unable to do," said TAC founder Zackie Achmat.
However, Achmat said that much more still needs to be done to combat the problem.
"There's no question there's been a sea change [by the government] in terms of dealing with civil society, but there hasn't been a sea change yet in saving lives," he said.
Mlambo-Ngcuka denies HIV and Aids 'coup'
IOL - News service, Monday, November 06, 2006
By Geoff Bough
The deputy president denied on Sunday that she and the deputy health minister were seeking to seize control of the country's HIV and Aids programme while Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is recovering from an illness.
The Sunday Times reported this weekend that Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Deputy Health Minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge had begun steering the country's HIV and Aids programme in a new direction since the health minister fell ill in early October.
"I don't know where that story comes from," Mlambo-Ngcuka said in an interview shortly after she addressed delegates to the international Jewish Catholic Liaison Commission meeting in Sea Point.
"I'm doing my work as the deputy president of the country, co-ordinating partnerships with all people who are working in this area, because we believe this great work can all be done together.
"The minister of health is sick at the present moment, 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."
Others, however, have started to see a noticeable shift in the government's HIV and Aids attitude that they believe started with the deputy president and deputy health minister.
"Both have shown a willingness to work with civil society," said senior attorney Fatima Hassan of the Aids Law Project. "If this is the response of the government then obviously it paves the way for organisations such as ours and we will be happy to work with them."
Hassan said that Madlala-Routledge had been prevented from talking about the HIV and Aids problem in SA for years under the health minister, but had since gained more leeway. "The way has been cleared for her and that is important," he said.
It was never more clear than at the Toronto Aids conference where Madlala-Routledge described some of the government promoted Aids treatments as "an embarrassment".
The Treatment Action Campaign has also seen the advantage of working with Mlambo-Ngcuka and Madlala- Routledge.
"They've repaired relations with civil society that the health minister has been unable to do," said TAC founder Zackie Achmat.
However, Achmat said that much more still needs to be done to combat the problem.
"There's no question there's been a sea change [by the government] in terms of dealing with civil society, but there hasn't been a sea change yet in saving lives," he said.