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 10, 2003
DA spokesman on Aids Mike Waters said President Mbeki should appoint someone else to drive the initiative.
Waters was reacting to an announcement that the cabinet had instructed the Health Department to urgently develop a detailed operational plan for a national antiretroviral treatment (ARV) programme.
The Government Communication and Information System said it was expected that the department's work would be completed by the end of September.
Said Waters: "The ANC must clearly have seen the opinion polls and realised that, with an election just around the corner, their dithering on a proper response to the Aids pandemic would hurt them on election day.
"It is quite cynical of them to have waited till now to make an announcement on antiretrovirals with a thousand people dying each day."
He said Tshabalala-Msimang had consistently voiced her opposition to the use of ARVs and she had always looked for excuses or reasons to go against court judgements or scientific proof.
"I do not believe that she will be the best person to drive the roll out of ARVs.
"She has almost run the entire health system into the ground and she has made a mess of the programme to prevent mother-to-child-transmission of HIV."
The DA will supported the initiative to roll out ARVs across South Africa to anyone who needed it.
"We will also monitor this programme with vigour to ensure that it delivers on what is promised.
"Unfortunately, if Dr Tshabalala-Msimang is in charge of this programme we don't hold too much hope that it will succeed.
"She is identified with the failure of the government's HIV policies; a new personality is needed to transform it into a success."
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