De Lille lashes out at Mbeki

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Cape Town - Pan Africanist Congress MP Patricia de Lille on Tuesday launched a stinging attack on President Thabo Mbeki's stance on the HIV/Aids pandemic.

In Tuesday's debate on Friday's State of the Nation speech by Mbeki, the fiery MP, referring to Mbeki, said: "How dare you leave the Aids pandemic in the hands of Sanac (the South African National Aids Council)?"

"Did you create it so cabinet (can) go about the world not worrying about the pandemic?" she said, claiming that Sanac had not met once on the Aids issue, nor had its technical committee.

"Can Sanac produce minutes since its inception in January 2000, because they have hardly had any meetings. It is loaded with (Aids) dissidents."

She also accused the government of inertia over social grants and said that even if they were extended to 21-year-olds - they at present are provided to parents/guardians of children up to the age of seven - the country did not have the capacity to pay them.

Lashing out at the president, she said: "We all know the truth; stop the hot air. Aids causes poverty, it is not poverty that causes Aids." The president has previously said that poverty is a key factor in the spread of Aids.

The President said in his opening speech that the government was working with Sanac and would continue to implement the comprehensive strategy on HIV and Aids, relating to all elements of this strategy. This includes implementation of the decisions of the constitutional court.

He was referring to the constitutional court ruling last year that government should provide anti-Aids drugs to pregnant HIV-positive women in State hospitals and clinics with the necessary capacity.

De Lille did not attend the opening of parliament on Friday, electing instead to take part in a Treatment Action Campaign march on parliament supported by members of the Congress of SA Trade Unions. - I-Net Bridge.

- News24