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) - August 2, 2003
About 520 delegates gathered at the Coastlands Hotel supported by a show of hands an entreaty from the TAC's secretary Mark Heywood that Achmat start taking ARV medication to prolong his life.
Achmat is refusing to take anti-AIDS drugs until the government rolls out a national treatment plan -- despite reports that his health is rapidly deteriorating.
TAC spokeswoman Rukia Cornelius said the congress started on Friday. Saturday morning was devoted to Achmat and Heywood reporting back on the campaign's activities over the last two years. National congresses are held every other year.
The rest of the day would be devoted to commissions, Cornelius said.
A number of commissions were discussing a wide range of issues, including the TAC constitution, treatment literature and literacy, building the TAC districts (local structures) and strengthening municipal HIV/Aids services. Other commissions were discussing the TAC's civil disobedience campaign, which was launched to pressure the government into a national treatment plan, a health care workers' campaign with the same objective, and increasing the role of the youth in the TAC.
Although not on the agenda, the Medicines Control Council's threat to withdraw the temporary registration of Nevirapine -- thereby effectively banning the anti-Aids medication -- because it believed the paperwork in a key Ugandan study to be defective, was also bound to be discussed.
The TAC during the week said it was consulting its lawyers about the threat.
The lobby group won a high court order 16 months ago compelling the government to make ARV medication available to pregnant mothers.
Cornelius added that the highlight on Sunday would be the election of a new secretariat for the TAC and the confirmation of its new national executive council.
The election would be supervised by the Independent Electoral Commission.
One member expected to be returned uncontested for another two-year term was Achmat.
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