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 - December 12, 2006
"Although I encourage people to test so that they know their HIV status, I did not, as a matter of fact, call upon the president to conduct a public test as claimed by the reports," she said in a statement on Tuesday.
Madlala-Routledge was referring to media reports at the weekend claiming she had called on Mbeki to take such a test. The reports followed an interview she had with a British newspaper.
"To me, it is logical that people in the leadership see the need to do this [take an HIV test]," she reportedly said at the time.
Her call has drawn wide praise from opposition parties and NGOs in South Africa.
On Tuesday, Madlala-Routledge said she hoped her latest statement would "clarify the matter".
She said in the interview with the British newspaper, the journalist had asked her if she thought it helped if people in leadership positions were tested, "to which I responded in the affirmative".
This had been in response to her taking a public HIV test as part of a Sunday Times campaign for South Africans to get tested.
"The main point I was making was to unite all South Africans behind this important campaign for testing, which forms part of the national strategic plan on HIV and Aids and STIs [sexually transmitted infections] for South Africa, and the comprehensive plan on HIV management, care and treatment, adopted by the Cabinet in December 2003.
"I wish to reiterate my commitment to the policy framework as agreed by the Cabinet to ensure that the whole of government communicates a single, clear and consistent message on HIV and AIDS," she said.
Reacting to Madlala-Routledge's announcement, the Democratic Alliance (DA) on Tuesday said it was deeply disappointing the deputy minister "has been persuaded to 'clarify' reports that she had called on the president to take a public Aids test".
However, she appeared to have stuck to her guns on her main point -- that the government had so far failed to handle the Aids epidemic appropriately, DA health spokesperson Gareth Morgan said in a statement
"Her stubbornness in resisting what was likely to have been considerable pressure to back down completely must be praised.
"However, her back-down on the question of a public Aids test for the president indicates that President Mbeki is still steadfastly refusing to play a constructive leadership role in the Aids-prevention campaign."
Morgan said whether Madlala-Routledge did or did not say to the journalist concerned that the president himself should take a public Aids test, the fact remained Mbeki was continuing to be a brake on the Aids prevention programme, "because he still refuses to acknowledge that the disease is a major crisis for South Africa", he said.
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