Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
South African Press Association - May 12, 2005
Responding to a question during a post-Cabinet-meeting media briefing at Parliament, Government Communications and Information Service head Joel Netshitenzhe said a report in Business Day on Thursday morning to this effect was "unethical".
Asked at the briefing, "Can you comment on reports that the minister of health has been 'ring-fenced' from the media?", Netshitenzhe replied: "There is no such thing."
According to the newspaper, the government has "thrown a ring" around Tshabalala-Msimang to improve the state's controversial management of its Aids message.
The "ring" is in the form of an interdepartmental communications committee, briefed to manage the government's handling of the Aids campaign.
The report quotes an unnamed source as saying: "The committee is an attempt to rein Manto in."
Tshabalala-Msimang has recently become the darling of local cartoonists with her controversial pronouncements on, among other things, the efficacy of foodstuffs such as garlic, African potatoes, beetroot and olive oil in the management of Aids.
Netshitenzhe told journalists the interdepartmental team on HIV and Aids referred to in the Business Day story "has existed for more than three, four years".
"In part, as we know, [the team has existed] because these issues impact on various government departments. So, I don't know where the story comes from.
"Unfortunately there is sometimes, I think, an unethical reliance on hidden sources. And when they contact the department to clarify the issues, people still insist on writing stories on the basis of what they got from their sources.
"I think that's the unfortunate thing sometimes in our journalism," he said.
050512
SA050507
Copyright © 2005 - South African Press Association. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the South African Press Association, Cotswold House, Greenacres Office Park, Cnr. Victory & Rustenburg Roads, VICTORY PARK, PO BOX 7766, JOHANNESBURG, 2000; Fax No: +27 11 782-1587/8, Tel No: +27 11 782-1600.
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, National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2005. 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, 2005. 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. .