Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - Sunday 07 October 2001
THE ANC is facing a rearguard action from within over its contentious stance on Aids.
A growing number of prominent ANC politicians and government officials are pushing for faster, more effective programmes and anti-retroviral treatment.
Recently, people describing themselves as "loyal ANC members" have mounted several blatant challenges to government policy "to drive policy, programmes and resource allocation". These include:
The ANC health committee, composed of health professionals within the ANC, which was this weekend to go head-to-head with official ANC statements which rubbished the Medical Research Council report on mortalities related to Aids.
The committee's secretary, Saadiq Kariem - who strongly believes in the integrity of the council report - said there would be a "robust debate" over the question of statistics.
"My opinion is that we need to make sure our judgements are scientifically based. We've obviously got to use the latest figures," said Kariem;
ANC MP Pregs Govender, who has, over the last two weeks, held public hearings on the impact of HIV/Aids on women and girls.
On the basis of evidence presented to her committee, it is likely that the ANC's parliamentary women's lobby will call for the implementation of a mother-to-child transmission prevention programme, post-exposure prophylactics for rape survivors and needle-stick injuries, and the investigation of free anti-retroviral treatment for all, based on the Brazilian model.
A member of the committee said the ANC had repeatedly said that Aids was a priority. "All we are doing is saying that the ANC needs to act on that position," she said; and
Former President Nelson Mandela, who is set to use his "stature to galvanise people into action". Mandela recently spoke frankly to the Cosatu central executive committee, urging it to get involved in a range of Aids initiatives.
John Samuel, chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, said Mandela had also launched initiatives with the private sector, including one to develop a strategic plan with scenario planner Clem Sunter.
Several Cabinet ministers and government departments have also begun to steam ahead with Aids-related programmes. Among these are:
Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya, who has shaped his poverty-alleviation budget around the needs of Aids orphans and sufferers, and who is the government's most vocal Aids campaigner;
Education Minister Kader Asmal, who has fast-tracked a life skills programme into schools;
The Gauteng Department of Health which has developed a roll-out plan for the entire province to prevent mother-to-child transmission; and
Johannesburg Mayor Amos Masondo who this week said the city already had 76 000 Aids orphans - enough to fill FNB Stadium. Masondo said Aids posed "an enormous threat" to Johannesburg and could reverse many of the gains made during the political transition.
An ANC member said those fighting the rearguard action "are simply very loyal ANC members who want to give effect to ANC policies".
Another said: "History will judge us, and the children of tomorrow won't ask who it was who did or didn't act against Aids, but will know that nothing was done."
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