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 - July 26, 2005
In a letter addressed to the ministers of safety and security and health, the premier of the Eastern Cape and the provincial minister for health, the organisations said in a statement the demonstrators "were taking action on behalf of their whole community and in defence of their human right to have access to health services".
On July 12, a TAC rally turned violent when police used rubber bullets and smoke grenades to disperse about 1 000 participants who entered the Frontier hospital premises to protest a perceived lack of anti-retroviral delivery.
Fifty-four people were injured.
The ecumenical organisations have urged that appropriate disciplinary action be taken against those responsible for the "attack".
They have also called for a formal apology to be issued to the demonstrators and for the government to heed the TAC's demands.
"All churches are living with or are affected by HIV and Aids. We stand in solidarity with all those around the world living with HIV and Aids, and we call for increasing access to treatment for people living with HIV and Aids," read the letter addressed to government officials.
The letter was signed by, among others, the World Council of Churches, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, the Lutheran World Federation and the South African Council of Churches.
Earlier on Tuesday, TAC supporters were gathering ahead of a march to the Queenstown police station to hand over a memorandum deploring alleged police brutality.
TAC provincial coordinator Phillip Mokoena said the memorandum would be handed over to the provincial police commissioner and called for an internal investigation and disciplinary action.
"We will go to the police station to say that what was done last week was uncalled for. We thought we were living in a democratic country where the law protected us. Instead, we are being shot at," said Mokoena.
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