Posted on ComTalk (August 2000)
By Tigele Mokobi and Phephelaphi Dube
President Thabo Mbeki has drawn enormous attention to himself from Aids activists, the medical and science fraternity for his questioning of the causal link between HIV and Aids. Speaking at the 7th Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), COSATU president Willie Madisha, argued that, “It is confusing and can serve to undermine the message that all South Africans must take precautions to avoid infections. For CASTU, the link between HIV and Aids is irrefutable, and any other approach is unscientific and unfortunately, likely to confuse people.”
In his address to parliament towards the end of September, the Democratic Alliance leader, Tonny Leon, said, “The President’s semantic games are delaying the direct and appropriate action now necessary to save lives.” Leon asked the president whether he did not believe that a lot of delays in considering an Aids policy were caused by his failure to make an emphatic statement on whether HIV caused Aids. He argued that the scientific evidence on the causal link between HIV and Aids should be considered.
“I do not believe that, there is a program to deal with Aids…. The programe of government is based on the thesis that HIV causes Aids and everything shows that. There is absolutely no confusion about what to do. Government has even allocated funds for the development of a vaccine.” Replied Mbeki.
The President said, “I have got no problem with the idea that HIV contributes to the collapse of the immune system… but there are other things that cause the collapse of the immune system and we need to understand that if we are to respond to all these, the problem is that most people do not want to study this question. They are perfectly happy to repeat the conventional wisdom.”
The President used the squalor of the developing world as a major factor in the prevalence and consequent spread of the disease. “Aids is most prevalent in communities already weakened by severe poverty, widespread lack of education and the HIV virus alone does not fuel the Aids epidemic. Aids is a syndrome and I don’t believe it’s a sensible thing to ask whether a virus causes a syndrome. In that syndrome the United Nations puts 29 diseases. When you ask, does HIV cause Aids? It is the same as does a virus cause a syndrome…. it can’t.” Mbeki said.
The President’s deep conviction that many of the arguments that Aids dissidents have put forward are right is the cause of his fallout with the media and Aids activists both locally and internationally. As it is, South Africa lacks a clear policy on the HIV/Aids pandemic. Close to an eighth of the South African population is dying from Aids and the government needs a clear policy on HIV/Aids that would foster the transformation of the sexual attitudes and practices of all citizens.
However the conventional wisdom of any theory needs to be challenged and the President has a right to do so.
By Tigele Mokobi and Phephelaphi Dube
President Thabo Mbeki has drawn enormous attention to himself from Aids activists, the medical and science fraternity for his questioning of the causal link between HIV and Aids. Speaking at the 7th Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), COSATU president Willie Madisha, argued that, “It is confusing and can serve to undermine the message that all South Africans must take precautions to avoid infections. For CASTU, the link between HIV and Aids is irrefutable, and any other approach is unscientific and unfortunately, likely to confuse people.”
In his address to parliament towards the end of September, the Democratic Alliance leader, Tonny Leon, said, “The President’s semantic games are delaying the direct and appropriate action now necessary to save lives.” Leon asked the president whether he did not believe that a lot of delays in considering an Aids policy were caused by his failure to make an emphatic statement on whether HIV caused Aids. He argued that the scientific evidence on the causal link between HIV and Aids should be considered.
“I do not believe that, there is a program to deal with Aids…. The programe of government is based on the thesis that HIV causes Aids and everything shows that. There is absolutely no confusion about what to do. Government has even allocated funds for the development of a vaccine.” Replied Mbeki.
The President said, “I have got no problem with the idea that HIV contributes to the collapse of the immune system… but there are other things that cause the collapse of the immune system and we need to understand that if we are to respond to all these, the problem is that most people do not want to study this question. They are perfectly happy to repeat the conventional wisdom.”
The President used the squalor of the developing world as a major factor in the prevalence and consequent spread of the disease. “Aids is most prevalent in communities already weakened by severe poverty, widespread lack of education and the HIV virus alone does not fuel the Aids epidemic. Aids is a syndrome and I don’t believe it’s a sensible thing to ask whether a virus causes a syndrome. In that syndrome the United Nations puts 29 diseases. When you ask, does HIV cause Aids? It is the same as does a virus cause a syndrome…. it can’t.” Mbeki said.
The President’s deep conviction that many of the arguments that Aids dissidents have put forward are right is the cause of his fallout with the media and Aids activists both locally and internationally. As it is, South Africa lacks a clear policy on the HIV/Aids pandemic. Close to an eighth of the South African population is dying from Aids and the government needs a clear policy on HIV/Aids that would foster the transformation of the sexual attitudes and practices of all citizens.
However the conventional wisdom of any theory needs to be challenged and the President has a right to do so.
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