Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Mail & Guardian Online - September 15, 2007
Mandy Rossouw
The Mail & Guardian learnt that civil society supporters of Tshabalala-Msimang were lobbying for a new position to be created in order to counter the newly appointed deputy chairperson of the council, Mark Heywood, who represents the Aids Law Project (ALP).
His appointment came despite the strained relationship between the minister and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), to which the ALP is allied.
The issue of a second deputy chairperson was raised informally after civil society representatives within Sanac decided in May this year that Heywood would be nominated to serve as the deputy chairperson of the council, which is chaired by Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
Heywood was approached by a small group of civil society representatives to suggest that a second deputy chairperson be chosen in order to strengthen the top structure of the council. The group, however, are representatives who are more sympathetic to the minister and have a "more natural leaning" towards some of her views, according to a source in the council.
One of these was from the National Association of People Living with HIV/Aids (Napwa).
"The source of tension in the civil society group is the approach to ARVs. We believe there needs to be a more holistic approach, which looks at issues of nutrition and natural medicine. The focus should not be on ARVs only," says Nkululeko Nxesi, the national director of Napwa.
According to a source who represents labour in the civil society group, the appointment of a second deputy chair will "cast suspicion on the current deputy chair [Heywood]".
The notion of a second deputy chair was rejected by the majority of civil society representatives and was therefore not tabled at the Sanac meeting that took place on Tuesday, signalling defeat for Tshabalala-Msimang's attempt to regain a grip on the council.
Another Sanac member says the minister seemed "isolated" at the meeting and did not contribute "anything of substance" to the discussion.
"What struck me was how quiet the minister was. She did not have an official input to deliver, but did not engage on any of the presentations or issues raised. She made a small input in which she reminded us of the importance of nutrition and another in which she promoted the Wellness Day that the department of health is planning. At lunchtime she was the first person to leave the room and during the meal she sat by herself with an adviser from the department, none of the other ministers joined her."
This was despite Tshabalala- Msimang's insistence at a press conference after the meeting that she was committed to the process.
"Even as I was recuperating, the national strategic plan was brought to my house so that I could go through it and see in fact whether these were things that could be implemented by the government. And so I really plead with whoever sows these seeds of division to stop forthwith - it's not fair and it's not correct," says Tshabalala-Msimang.
The council is determined to make serious inroads in the fight against the HIV pandemic. To further this aim the civil society grouping has decided not to insist on a discussion of the dismissal of the former deputy minister of health, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, at the meeting.
"There was a conscious decision by civil society to focus on the task at hand and not to jeopardise the progress. But that does not mean it is forgotten. Thanks to her [Madlala-Routledge] things are now much better than they were before," says a Sanac member.
The continuing leadership of Mlambo-Ngcuka is said to be the key to keeping the council on track.
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