25 April 2006
The Department of Health is encouraged by the statement made by Treatment
Action Campaign (TAC) and AIDS Law Project leader (ALP), Mark Heywood, that the
TAC will reconsider its decision to decline government invitation to the United
Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV and AIDS.
Heywood, who is the head of ALP as well as the treasurer of the TAC, made
the statement during an interview with Xolani Gwala of the Morning Talk
programme in SAfm yesterday.
TAC General Secretary, Sipho Mthathi, initially declined an invitation by
the Department of Health to be part of 14 civil society representatives to join
the South African delegation to the UNGASS to be held in New York from 31 May
to 2 June.
Heywood's statement came after the Department of Health reiterated its
position during this programme that Mthathi was invited to the delegation as an
office bearer of the TAC and not in her personal capacity as previously
understood by the TAC.
The invitation has no conditions limiting the activities of civil society
representatives. The request is that the representatives attend regular
meetings of the country delegation during the course of the UNGASS to ensure
that South Africa is represented in most of the parallel sessions and country
delegates are able to share information coming out of these parallel
activities.
The Department of Health urges that the TAC to urgently resolve this matter
to allow for the Department to continue with the logistical arrangement
regarding the delegation's participation at the UNGASS.
We hope that the TAC can endorse Mthathi as the organisation's
representative in the country delegation.
Contact:
Sibani Mngadi
Cell: 082 772 0161
Issued by: Department of Health
25 April 2006
