Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - September 17, 2006
Xolani Xundu

Although Cosatu's general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, refused to divulge the federation's resolution on Tshabalala-Msimang, the Sunday Times has reliably been told that Cosatu wants President Thabo Mbeki to dismiss her.

The matter will come up for discussion at the federation's ninth national congress, which begins tomorrow in Midrand.

In its secretariat report, due to be tabled for discussion tomorrow, Cosatu says the national HIV prevention plan "expired in 2005. As yet there is no plan and no evaluation of how to massively improve HIV prevention in this country."

The federation has invited Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka to address the four-day congress on Tuesday, as the main government spokesman on HIV and Aids, to come and "allay our fears", according to Vavi.

In an interview with the Sunday Times this week, Vavi said the federation wanted to make sure that it moved in the same direction as the government on Aids. It was important for Mlambo-Ngcuka to address delegates about the Cabinet decision that has made her the main government spokesman on HIV and Aids.

"We will be very scathing and radical on that question [Tshabalala-Msimang's handling of HIV and Aids] in our report," he said.

Asked if that meant calling for her sacking, Vavi said he did not know.

There have been growing calls in recent weeks for the sacking of the Health minister because of her handling of the pandemic. South Africa has one of the largest antiretroviral programmes to treat HIV-infected people, yet it has the highest number of Aids deaths in the world.

South Africa's Comprehensive Plan for Management, Care and Treatment of HIV and Aids is supposed to give hope to more than five million people living with the disease. But only 141000 are receiving treatment out of the 453 000 people targeted by the plan for the current year.

Instead, Tshabalala-Msimang promotes nutrition based on consumption of garlic, lemon, African potato and beetroot and is less emphatic on treatment.

Vavi also hinted that debates about constitutional review were at an advanced stage. These included scrapping provinces and provincial legislatures and adopting a mixed electoral system of proportional representation and constituency elections.

He said that although the question was still under discussion in the tripartite alliance, he did not doubt that Cosatu members were in favour of a unitary state.

Provinces were a compromise during negotiations in Kempton Park and the ANC never wanted them.

The Sunday Times recently revealed the existence of a discussion document circulating in government calling for the reduction of South Africa's provinces from nine to four or five, indicating that the matter will be put out for public discussion soon. It is likely to be resolved at next year's ANC congress.

Vavi dismissed reports that President Thabo Mbeki had snubbed Cosatu by declining an invitation to address its congress.

"He will be at the UN accepting South Africa's seat in the Security Council and the President must be there," said Vavi.

060917
ST060909