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 30, 2006
Achmat made the call during a special address to the Cape Town city council at the invitation of mayor Helen Zille.
"We cannot put our party obedience, comrades, before the right to life," he told the 80 or so ANC councillors sitting on his left in the council chamber.
At the start of his address, Achmat, wearing his trademark "HIV-positive" T-shirt, pointedly stressed his "lifelong" ANC membership, adding that if he had been a member of the council, he would be sitting in the ANC benches.
He said HIV in South Africa represents a crisis of leadership, and is the greatest challenge to democracy. The government has made dramatic changes to the lives of everyone in South Africa, but HIV/Aids remains one of the most serious challenges.
He said the TAC is asking President Thabo Mbeki to convene a national crisis meeting immediately to develop an emergency plan on HIV/Aids, to end Aids deaths in prisons, and to sack Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang and Director General of Health Thami Mseleku.
"We ask you this not to score political points, but to save lives," Achmat told the council. "We need every person to join a global united front to deal with this epidemic. The Cape Town city council and all parties have a constitutional duty to work together with us."
After his address, Achmat made a point of going over to Zille, who is a member of the Democratic Alliance, to thank her. She responded with a warm hug.
The TAC says an average of 900 people die in South Africa every day of Aids-related illnesses, and that one in nine South Africans is infected with HIV. It says there are 1 000 new infections every day.
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