Govt seeks cooperation of AIDS activists

South Africa's Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on HIV/AIDS is seeking the cooperation of activists to improve ways of tackling the pandemic.

The IMC was recently reinforced after concerns were raised in cabinet that health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang was diverting focus from the government's anti-AIDS strategies with her controversial promotion of garlic, beetroot and the African potato as effective means of treating HIV.

The strengthened committee, chaired by Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, reportedly decided at its first meeting to reach a consensus with nongovernmental (NGO) and civic bodies, such as the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), who have been critical of the government's anti-AIDS plan.

Although welcoming the informal invitation, TAC spokesman Nathan Geffen told PlusNews that this offer would in no way detract from his group's stance on Tshabalala-Msimang's role as health minister, and the demand that she step down.

The TAC recently appealed for international support in presenting a mass petition of its demands to President Thabo Mbeki.

"The minister continues to undermine the efforts of both the government and civil society organisations against not just HIV/AIDS, but other aspects of health as well. She represents a leadership crisis that urgently needs to be resolved," said Geffen.

He charged that the minister's association with known AIDS dissidents, like vitamin salesman Matthias Rath, also sent out conflicting and dangerous messages to a nation grappling with one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world.

South Africa has an estimated 5.5 million of its 47 million population living with the HI virus.

Sibani Mngadi, spokesperson for the department of health, warned in a statement that the prospect of success in the TAC's campaign to oust the minister was almost nil.

Apart from IMC statements to the local media, no official invitation had yet been extended to the TAC, but Geffen was confident that the opportunity presented an ideal forum for his group's grievances to be considered, and for finding ways of coordinating government and NGO efforts against AIDS.