Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
South African Press Association (Johannesburg) - May 5, 2003
Sama, which represents the views and interests of two-thirds of the medical doctors in the country, said on Monday the peaceful protest was the first of many Sama initiatives to come this year.
Dr Kgosi Letlape, chairperson of Sama, said: "We plan to do a lot more work this year... You have to understand that what needs to be done is a collective effort from all of us, not only from the TAC.
"Today and tomorrow is just to highlight to society that what the TAC is doing is excellent work and civil society should support them. This is our initiative," Letlape said.
He said government's reported "about-turn" in its HIV-Aids policy last year was effectively on paper only as people living with Aids were still not getting Aids treatment at public hospitals.
"They are hiding behind a task team with the finance minister looking at the cost (of providing free ARVs). That should take them half an hour, they are wasting time and playing Russian Roulette with life in this country.
"Botswana has been providing Aids treatment in their public sector so if the people in the task team have problems with their calculators, Botswana can tell them what the cost is, we can tell them," Letlape said.
The TAC suspended its nearly two-month long civil disobedience campaign last week Tuesday pending the outcome of a full day meeting with the SA National Aids Council (Sanac) on May 17.
Sama, which was a co-signatory to the petition the activist group handed over to parliament at its opening in February, said it would continue to encourage its members to take part in TAC campaigns in their private capacity.
Government estimates put the number of people in South Africa living with HIV/Aids at 5,5-million.
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