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) - October 9, 2005
Andrew Donaldson, London
The star, who continues to perform as a solo artist, made her comments after attending the launch in London of the UK-based Friends of the Treatment Action Campaign, or FoTAC.
Along with hundreds of South Africans living abroad and Britons at the launch, Lennox and dignitaries including author Gillian Slovo and former British Cabinet Minister Lord Chris Smith watched a video presentation of the TAC's struggle in fighting for Aids treatment in South Africa, where about 800 people die of the disease unnecessarily every day.
The film also included damning footage of SA Health Minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. In what could be a ghastly parody of a television chef, the minister was seen describing the "nutritional" merits of the "garlic, lemon, beetroot and olive oil" diet she has proposed for HIV sufferers.
The minister was also shown praising the work of the controversial German-born Dr Matthias Rath, whose denunciation of Aids drugs and dismissal of those who promote their use as lackeys of pharmaceutical multinationals has reignited the bitter life-and-death struggle facing those living with Aids and HIV in South Africa.
Guests at the launch were shocked at Tshabalala-Msimang's announcements.
In a statement released afterwards, Lennox said: "It is scandalous and absurd that a virtual genocide can go pretty much unchecked and unacknowledged by the world at large. As a woman and a mother, I am honoured to join hands with FoTAC to make my contribution in whatever way I can."
FoTAC will raise money for the TAC's campaigns and also raise awareness in the UK about the AIDS crisis in Southern Africa.
Sipho Mthathi, the TAC's secretary-general, indicated the organisation would take legal action against Tshabalala-Msimang over her continued association with Rath.
051009
ST051005
Copyright © 2005 - The Sunday Times. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Sunday Times Permissions Desk.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Roche and Trimeris, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2005. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2005. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .