Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
South African Press Association - August 24, 2006
The protest was part of the TAC's "day of action" to pressure President Thabo Mbeki to sack Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.
The TAC is also calling for anti-retroviral treatment for all prisoners who need it.
Groups of TAC members staged demonstrations outside two Cape Town buildings, the provincial government's offices in Dorp Street and a building housing correctional service officers in Corporation Street.
Though department officials closed a metal security gate to keep the protesters out, a group of about 20 managed to force their way in shortly before 1pm.
Police armed with shotguns rushed up, some standing guard at the entrance while others went inside and evicted the protesters. Those that resisted were doused with pepper spray and forcibly ejected.
The protesters regrouped outside the entrance to the building, singing and holding up posters reading "Arrest Manto".
TAC spokeperson Sipho Mthathi told the Mail & Guardian Online from Cape Town on Thursday that an official had come out of the building to accept their memorandum.
"People are waiting and getting impatient and apparently the police are on their way," said Mthathi.
Mthathi said the people who had been sprayed with pepper spray were not seriously injured.
Meanwhile, TAC protesters were returning home after a "successful" day of protest outside the Union Buildings.
TAC spokesperson Luyanda Ngonyama said that although the crowd of 400 were angry and defiant, they had tried to be as disciplined as possible. "The TAC is not a violent group," he said.
"I think it was successful. We did not clash with the police, we are not tear-gassed even though it was an illegal protest," said Ngonyama.
"If we do not have a written response in two weeks time, weÆll be back with even more people," he said.
The TAC said on Thursday it had decided to stage illegal protests because it was tired of the government's failure to act on HIV/Aids.
"We deliberately did not apply for permission to protest and we don't apologise for that because we are tired of government's inactivity in the face of the Aids pandemic," said the TAC's general secretary Sipho Mthathi.
Meanwhile, Parliament's correctional services committee chairperson Dennis Bloem said on Wednesday that the TAC was politicising a serious disease.
Bloem commented after an altercation between members of the TAC and warders at the Durban Westville prison on Wednesday.
The TAC says a "few" of its members went to the prison with health care workers to give assistance to prisoners. The TAC says its members were threatened with guns and dogs by the warders and turned away.
"I wish to condemn in the strongest possible terms the senseless and irresponsible actions by the TAC," Bloem was quoted on Wednesday as saying by Business Day.
"I do not think that the TAC is really concerned about the lives of people living with HIV/Aids. You cannot politicise such a serious disease and put the lives of people in danger for your own personal reasons," the paper quoted him as saying.
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