South Africa Health Minister Slams Global AIDS Fund
Originally published by Reuters Press, July 22, 2002
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Reuters) — South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has slammed the Global Fund for Aids for its donor policies, drawing a fresh barrage of criticism over her government's handling of HIV/AIDS.
Tshabalala-Msimang told a youth summit on AIDS late on Saturday that the UN-supported fund had bypassed the national government when it allocated $60 million directly to KwaZulu Natal, the worst hit of the country's nine provinces.
"The Global Fund was trying to bypass the democratically elected government and put it (money) in the hands of civil authorities," she told the youth gathering in Johannesburg. "Perhaps this is because the Fund does not trust governments elected by the people."
KwaZulu Natal is South Africa's most populous province, and one of only two where the ruling African National Congress (ANC) does not have outright control.
South Africa has the highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world, an estimated 4.74 million. But President Thabo Mbeki has questioned the link between HIV and AIDS and his government refuses antiretroviral therapy in public hospitals on cost and safety grounds.
"The latest spat over how donor funding should reach people crying out for support and treatment demonstrates how clearly our current political system hurts the country," said Ruth Rabinowitz, spokeswoman for the Inkatha Freedom Party, the ANC coalition partner that controls KwaZulu Natal.
Last week the regional head of the Anglican Church demanded the health minister's resignation after news that the government was blocking the Fund's grant to fight AIDS in KwaZulu Natal.
Zackie Achmat, chairman of the Treatment Action Campaign, said the minister appeared to be trying to deflect attention from the issue of whether KwaZulu Natal would get the money.
"We feel it is a misguided attempt to disguise her own dishonesty to prevent KwaZulu Natal from getting access to the Fund and providing treatment to the people," he told Reuters. We have lost confidence in the ability of the minister to lead and we urge her to retract her denialist positions."
Health Ministry spokesman Sibani Mngadi told Reuters that health officials in KwaZulu Natal had agreed with the Ministry on Monday that the grant be distributed across the whole country, and were now waiting for a response from the Fund.
"The agreement we reached with KwaZulu Natal was that the resources would be used equitably across the whole country," he said.
The Global Fund for the Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria had allocated $93 million for South Africa, in addition to the $71 million for KwaZulu Natal, he said.
Tshabalala-Msimang has also criticized the Fund, which has $2 billion to allocate worldwide, for donating very little or nothing to other countries hit by AIDS in the region.
