Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) - April 25, 2006
Tisha Eetgerink
"This statement by the Department of Health is an outright lie and a distortion of the facts", TAC general secretary Sipho Mthathi told the Mail & Guardian Online on Tuesday.
In the statement the health department said it was encouraged by the comments of Mark Heywood, head of the Aids Law Project and TAC treasurer, on a radio talk show on Monday. According to the statement, Heywood said the TAC would reconsider its decision to decline the government invitation.
"Heywood's comments have been ripped out of context. We have not reconsidered the invitation. The TAC has not changed reasons for declining; we still object to the way the government hand-picked this delegation. The statement by the Department of Health is part of their desperate plan to resolve this matter," Mthathi said.
After initially being barred from going to the special session, the TAC last week turned down the department offer to be one of 14 civil society organisations to join the South African delegation to UNGASS. Mthathi felt the process of selecting and announcing the delegation had been unsatisfactory.
Spokesperson for the Department of Health, Sibani Mngadi, told the Mail & Guardian Online that the claim the TAC was reconsidering, was "based on comments by Mark Heywood in a public medium".
Mngadi expressed hope that the dispute would be speedily resolved.
But it appears Mthathi has already made up her mind.
"The TAC and the Aids Law Projects will be going to New York, but as independent organisations and not as part of the South African delegation."
060425
MG060407
Copyright © 2006 - Daily Mail & Guardian. For information about the content or for permission to redistribute, publish or use for broadcast, contact the publisher.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2006. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2006. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .