Manto snubs Durban Aids Conference
South African National AIDS Council chairperson and deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka chastised organizers at Tuesday night’s opening for scheduling Tshabalala-Msimang’s speech during Wednesday’s plenary and not during the opening.
Many delegates expressed disappointment at the health minister’s decision to withdraw from Wednesday’s plenary session opting to send her AIDS director Dr Nomonde Xundu, who delivered a drab update on Government’s response to the epidemic.
‘I was really looking to forward to hearing whether the minister had embraced the new spirit of co-operation and the renewed energy that has been evident over the past few months,’ said a delegate.
Organisers were unclear whether the deputy health minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, who has addressed several forums at the conference, would withdraw from Thursday’s plenary session. ‘There is definitely pressure from higher up on her to do so, but we don’t know what she will decide,’ said a source.
Conference chairperson Dr Olive Shisana was not prepared to comment on the developments.
Tshabalala-Msimang was scheduled to share the stage with eminent international and national scientists as well as Treatment Action Campaign Secretary-General Sipho Mthathi.
Addressing the more than 4 000 delegates Mthathi said it was exciting to speak at a time where she didn’t have to say ‘we are at a crossroads’.
‘We have chosen the path we are going to take and there is no longer any equivocating about where we are going.
‘Yes, we have bold and ambitious targets, but we don’t have a choice,’ said Mthathi.
Addressing what she framed a ‘thorny issue’, Mthathi said that with the current public sector strike taking place delegates had to consider the working conditions of public health workers.
‘They are not earning a real living wage and we cannot isolate them from our discussions. We will not be able to implement the National Strategic Plan if we do not pay our workers,’ said Mthathi.
In a veiled reference to the developments around the health minister, Mthathi said it was unfortunate that ‘we almost got side-tracked’.
‘We want to say to Government that we are here in good faith. We are tired of the fighting and arguing. We want to work.’
University of Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Professor Bertran Auvert provided a lighter moment when he told women they had an important role to play in ensuring that male circumcision as a prevention intervention succeeded. ‘Women need to state that they will only have sex with circumcised men,’ he said to raucous laughter.
Tshabalala-Msimang’s spokesperson Sibani Mngadi could not be reached for comment.
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