Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - September 25, 2005
Brendan Boyle
The TAC has been a consistent critic of both the government and Mbeki's response to the HIV/Aids pandemic and has repeatedly used court action to force the government and pharmaceutical companies to provide medication at affordable rates.
In his chairman's report to the TAC national conference in Cape Town, Achmat said Mbeki and Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang "continue to show symptoms of Aids denialism".
But the movement's greatest problem was their support for attacks by dissidents on the credibility of the movement.
"The TAC has been under sustained attack," Achmat said.
"Napwa, THO, ANC Today, the Rath Foundation - there is one thing they all have in common and that is the Health Minister and the President's office," he said in a reference to attacks on the TAC from the rival National Association of People with Aids, the Traditional Healers' Organisation, the ANC's website and vitamin merchant Matthias Rath.
"All of them have links directly to the Health Minister and the President's office and every one of them has tried to attack us and undermine us," Achmat said.
Interviewed on the sidelines of the conference, Achmat said that if Mbeki did not support the actions of his staff, he should say so.
"It is a strong allegation we are making.
"What we are saying is that the Health Minister, with the support of the President, has met with Rath, has met with Anthony Brink, has used Napwa against us, has used the traditional healers organisation against us," he said.
Anthony Brink is a lawyer who has questioned orthodox views in a book on Mbeki and Aids.
"We say that we want to know unequivocally from the President's office what his stand is on HIV and Aids and if he is supporting people like Rath," Achmat said.
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