Mentre la maggior parte di noi si sta mobilitando contro la guerra in Iraq, sosteniamo allo stesso tempo la lotta delle persone sieropositive sudafricane che si stanno battendo per l’accesso ai trattamenti antiretrovirali. 5 milioni di persone sieropositive vivono attualmente in Sud Africa. 600 di loro muoiono tutti i giorni. Dopo avere chiesto per mesi che il governo sudafricano approvasse un piano nazionale per il trattamento dell’infezione da HIV/AIDS il gruppo sudafricano Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) ha dato inizio ad una campagna di disobbedienza civile. Tale decisione è dovuta al rifiuto del governo sudafricano a sostenere l’accesso ai farmaci antiretrovirali per i 5 milioni di persone sieropositive che vivono in Sud Africa. 600 di loro muoiono tutti i giorni.

Informazioni relative alla campagna

* Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), una delle più importanti organizzazioni di lotta all’AIDS sudafricane, ha iniziato una campagna di disobbedienza civile non violenta il 20 Marzo 2003. Sono già state organizzate quattro azioni di disobbedienza civile, ed una di esse si è scontrata con la brutalità della polizia (vedi sotto).

* 600 volontari prenderanno parte alle azioni di disobbedienza civile – lo stesso numero di persone che muore tutti i giorni di AIDS in Sud Africa.

* Qualora il governo Sud Africano rifiutasse di implementare un piano nazionale per il trattamento dell’infezione da HIV/AIDS TAC chiede che tutti gli attivisti si mobilitino per una giornata di azione globale il 27 aprile 2003

* Entro pochi anni, a causa dell’AIDS, l’aspettativa di vita per una persona sieropositiva di colore sudafricana sarà inferiore ai 40 anni

Il 20 Marzo 2003 gli attivisti di TAC si sono concentrati presso le stazione di polizia di Durban, Sharpeville, e Città del Capo per denunciare per omicidio il Ministero della Salute ed il Ministero delle Finanze del Sudafrica. La ragione di tale denuncia è che il governo continua a negare l’accesso universale ai farmaci antiretrovirali. TAC ha chiesto alla polizia di arrestare i Ministri della Salute e delle Finanze.

Gli attivisti rischiano ora l’arresto; a Durban la polizia ha risposto con brutalità alle proteste pacifiche di TAC utilizzando cannoni ad acqua, lacrimogeni e manganelli. Molti attivisti di TAC sono attualmente in ospedale a causa delle brutalità della polizia. TAC ha annunciato che le azioni proseguiranno.

Il 25 Marzo gli attivisti di TAC hanno interrotto il Ministro della Salute, Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, durante un dibattito pubblico distribuendo un documento nel quale si dice che “… Ci avete ingannato. Speriamo siate in grado di provare che abbiamo torto prendendo un impegno immediato, inequivocabile ed irreversibile che garantisca l’accesso universale alle terapie antiretrovirali” (per il testo completo – in inglese – vedi sotto)

Cosa potete fare

1) Inviare lettere di supporto a TAC alle ambasciate ed ai consolati del Sud Africa nel periodo compreso tra il 25 Marzo ed il 2 Aprile

2) Telefonare all’ambasciata Sudafricana esprimendo il vostro sostegno a TAC

3) Organizzare iniziative locali a sostegno di TAC il 27 Aprile, in particolare davanti ai consolati e alle ambasciate del Sud Africa

4) Far circolare questo appello

L’ambasciata Sud Africana in Italia è in Via Tanaro, 14, 00198 Roma. Fax: +39/06/84.24.22.37 – Tel: +39/06/85.25.41 consular@sudafrica.it

Per maggiori informazioni:

Sito web di TAC: www.tac.org.za
Rassegna stampa: www.healthgap.org

Se la vostra organizzazione intende scrivere una lettera di supporto a TAC scrivete all’ambasciata Sudafricana in Via Tanaro, 14, 00198 Roma, Fax: +39/06/84.24.22.37, consular@sudafrica.it e agli indirizzi riportati di seguito entro il 28 Marzo 2003. Ricordate di inviare copia della lettera a TAC all’indirizzo email info@tac.org.za

The Honorable JG Zuma
Deputy President, South Africa:
Via Fax: 011-27-12-323-3114
E-mail: Deputypresident@po.gov.za

The Honorable Dr NC Dlamini-Zuma
Minister of Foreign Affairs:
Via Fax: 011-27-12-351-0253
E-mail: media@foreign.gov.za

Ms Lakela Kaunda
Chief Director: Communication and Spokesperson
Via E-mail: lakela@po.gov.za

Deputy Chief of Mission Professor Thandabantu Nhlapo
South African Embassy
Via Fax: 202-265-1607
Main Telephone: (202) 232-4400

Consul General Thami Ngwevela
South African Consulate General – New York
Via Fax: 212-213-0102
Main Telephone: 212-213-4880

Consul General Glaudine Mtshali
South African Consulate General – Los Angeles
Via Fax: 323-651-5969
Main Telephone: (323) 651-0902

Consul General Pat Sonjani
South African Consulate General – Chicago
Via Fax: 312-939-2588
Main Telephone: 312-939-7929

Telefonate inoltre all’ambasciata Sudafricana tra il 25 Marzo ed il 2 Aprile.

Il tono della telefonata dovrà essere fermo ma educato. Dite alla persona che risponde al telefono che volete parlare con qualcuno per esprimere il vostro sostegno agli attivisti di TAC che hanno lanciato la campagna di disobbedienza civile il 20 Marzo 2003. Quello che segue è il testo della telefonata. Ricordate di lasciare i vostri estremi al funzionario dell’ambasciata.

“Il mio nome è _____________ e rappresento ____________. Chiamo per esprimere il mio sostegno alla campagna di disobbedienza civile non violenta organizzata da TAC che è iniziata il 20 Marzo.

Le persone sieropositive stanno morendo perché non hanno accesso ai farmaci antiretrovirali. Le persone sieropositive hanno il diritto di vivere. Il governo sudafricano rifiuta di sottoscrivere ed implementare un piano nazionale che includa il trattamento antiretrovirale per le persone sieropositive.

600 sudafricani muoiono ogni giorno di AIDS. Chiedo che il governo sudafricano riconsideri immediatamente la propria decisione e sostenga l’accesso universale al trattamento e alla cura per le persone sieropositive. Tale programma deve includere il trattamento antiretrovirali.

Condanno inoltre la violenza della polizia di Durban contro gli attivisti di TAC durante la protesta pacifica del 20 marzo. Chiedo al governo sudafricano di aprire un inchiesta, e di rimuovere da loro incarico i responsabili, prendendo le misure opportune perché ciò non accada mai più.

Grazie per la vostra attenzione”

TAC Statement on their Civil Disobedience Campaign

“We cannot wait any longer for a visible and dynamic response from the government, business and international community. We do not need any more reports to tell us what we already know – HIV/AIDS is killing 600 people a day in this country and ruining lives and hopes. But with will and
commitment this does not have to happen. With leadership from business and government, together with labour and communities, it is still possible to save lives and restore hope.” — Treatment Action Campaign

TAC Civil Disobedience Campaign – 20 March 2003

Statement on civil disobedience campaign, which begins today Docket of charges of culpable homicide against Minister of Health, Mantombazana Edmie Tshabalala-Msimang and Minister of Finance, Alexander Erwin handed over to police

Civil Disobedience Campaigns begins Today

21 March is Human Rights Day. On 21 March 1960, thousands of black African people in South Africa left their passes at home. They marched peacefully to police stations where they handed themselves over for arrest. Our parents and ancestors chose to go to jail rather than to obey unjust laws or to allow an immoral and illegitimate regime to continue take away their dignity and equality. Mandela, Sisulu, Mbeki, Sobukwe, Ngoyi, First, Slovo, Kathrada and many thousands more sacrificed for democracy, equality and justice.

Today, we have a democratic and legitimate government of the people. Yet, today we are once again breaking the law. We accept our Constitution. We voted for this government, we accept its legitimacy and its laws.

But we cannot accept its unjust policy on HIV/AIDS that is causing the deaths of more than 600 people every day. Today we break the law to end an unjust policy not an unjust government. For four years, we have done everything in our power to persuade government to change this policy: we have provided information and given evidence, campaigned successfully to lower the price of drugs such as fluconazole as well as anti-retrovirals. Eleven months ago, the Cabinet tantalized people with AIDS by recognizing that anti-retroviral drugs do “improve the condition of people with AIDS”. But the policy of non-provision of these medicines has not changed.

So today, in Durban, Cape Town and Sharpeville 600 TAC volunteers, many of them people living with HIV, are marching to police stations to lay charges of culpable homicide against the Ministers of Health and Trade and Industry. They are acting on behalf of people who have died or who are dying because government policy denied them the medicine needed to treat their HIV infection.

We demand a real partnership that prevents new infections and saves lives.

We demand that the government immediately announce an antiretroviral treatment programme in the public sector and that it signs the NEDLAC
treatment and prevention plan.

text of TAC statement delivered March 25, 2003

Message for the South African Minister of Health, Mantombazana Edmie Tshabalala-Msimang or Her Representative

We are angry. According to Government’s sources over 600 people will die of AIDS everyday on average this year. We stand here today to say to you that you have wilfully and negligently failed to implement the necessary interventions, including antiretroviral treatment, that would prevent many of these deaths. Nevertheless, we also stand here today to say that we will always be available to work with government, health-care workers and all of South African society for a better public health-care system.

For many years doctors, nurses, researchers, people with HIV/AIDS, churches, unions, businesses, provincial ANC congresses, the South African Communist Party, the SANAC [South African National AIDS Council] Youth Sector and organisations such as the Treatment Action Campaign have been trying to convince you to adopt and implement an HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention plan. We have been model citizens in this regard, using negotiations, demonstrations, the media, the courts, the Human Rights Commission, NEDLAC [National Economic, Development, and Labour Council] and numerous other democratic means to convince you to do the right thing.

Instead of embracing the dozens of opportunities we have given you to work together with civil society to treat our people and reduce new infections, your response has been to resort to pseudo-science, thereby showing disrespect for people with HIV, women, the poor and black people. You have consorted (and continue to consort) with HIV denialists and have never once on record stated without condition that you believe that HIV causes AIDS, though you have claimed it is a premiss, not a fact, of government policy. You have caused public confusion over the efficacy of antiretrovirals and it took a court case to get your department to implement mother-to-child transmission prevention. Instead of seizing the opportunity to implement this programme without condition, you offered succour to a corrupt MEC [Member of the Executive Council] for Health, Ms. Sibongile Manana, who has failed to implement the programme. To this date, you have not issued a single national circular to all health-care workers and Provincial Departments informing them properly of their Constitutional obligations. You have also failed to inform every pregnant woman who uses the public health care sector of your plans to reduce the risk of HIV infection to their children.

Instead of leading government to adopt the NEDLAC and framework agreement on a treatment and prevention plan, you undermined and misrepresented it. You did not have time in the last few months to ensure that whatever concerns you have about the agreement were addressed, but you had time to seek publicity in Iraq and to consort with the charlatan, Roberto Girraldo. Nor have you ever taken the time to visit antiretroviral treatment projects in Khayelitsha or Gugulethu.

We have heard a number of excuses from you as to why antiretroviral therapy should not be implemented. You have cited toxicity. You have said prevention rather than treatment. You have cited the cost. Now that all these excuses have been shown to be false, you misuse the need and hunger of our people by chanting nutrition rather than treatment as if the two are mutually exclusive.

In the Sunday newspapers government talks about its desire to work with partners. Government also acknowleges the efficacy of antiretroviral therapy and says it will consider proposals from a joint health and finance committee that has costed a number of interventions, including
antiretroviral treatment. But we have heard promises on antiretroviral therapy from government for nearly a year since the 17 April Cabinet Statement. In effect, you have wasted money by advertising a wish list described as a plan.We are aware that the costing study is complete. We can only hope, that unlike the MRC report and the HST/DOH Scientists report on antiretroviral therapy, you will not attempt to censor this report.

Almost no progress has been made on the implementation of treatment programmes since we jointly won the court case against the drug companies on 18 April 2001 or since the 17 April Cabinet Statement of 2002. All efforts to reduce medicine prices have come from civil society, not government. You have ignored the desperation of the doctors, nurses and patients in the public health care system. We are tired of promises. We must see a plan and its reasonable implementation. Millions of lives depend on it. However, we also no longer believe that you have the will or competence to manage the HIV epidemic or the public health care sector appropriately. Inequity and quality of service in the public health care sector have worsened since you took over from your predecessor who made a valiant effort to transform the health care service. You have deceived, misrepresented, delayed and denied for too long. We hope you will prove us wrong by making an unequivocal and irreversible committment to antiretroviral therapy and by signing the NEDLAC agreement. If you fail to do this, we will take legal action and continue
our civil disobedience to ensure that the public health care sector succeeds in spite of you.