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THE South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions have vowed to use all legal means to support communities that want to follow suit in rejecting Rath facilities and their alleged Sanco agents from Khayelitsha.

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, 22 June, SACP district secretary Luthando Nogcinisa said the alliance would spare no effort in ensuring the public health system remains the primary provider of health to the workers and poor of Khayelitsha.

"We cannot afford even a day of confusion in the fight against HIV-Aids. The government programme to roll out ARVs should be strengthened and public health facilities should be the preferred providers of health care services to the people."

Nogcinisa put it clearly that the SACP and Cosatu do not support the Dr Rath Foundation.

He said the HIV/Aids pandemic was a national crisis and the alliance took it as their responsibility to inform people in the community to trust government in the fight against HIV/Aids.

"Rath medicines are not registered," said Nogcinisa.

Nogcinisa said although vitamins have been shown to be useful for people with HIV, they are not a substitute for antiretrovirals.

He alleged that Rath runs medical practices in Khayelitsha and Nyanga in breach of the Health Professions Act because he is not registered ". . . and we call on people not to accept Rath's help."

Nogcinisa added the Health Professions Council had laid a charge with the Khayelitsha police against Rath.

Nogcinisa accused Rath of causing confusion resulting in people not taking their medicines and went on to say Rath used the language of the struggle and freedom in his pamphlets to fool people, but has absolutely no history in the struggle.

Monde Nqulwana, local Cosatu chairperson, said Cosatu and the SACP have pledged support to the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) in their court case against Rath.

"We intend to engage government, community organisations, churches, sports clubs and schools in order to clarify our position regarding this matter," said Nqulwana.

Mzanywa Ndibongo, Sanco chairperson in Khayelitsha, said earlier this month when City Vision approached his organisation regarding people from Khayelitsha complaining about Sanco agents recruiting them to use vitamin tablets supplied by the Rath Foundation that his organisation met with Dr Rath earlier this year.

"The council took an overwhelming vote of support and he is welcome to work in Khayelitsha," Ndibongo said.

"We asked him to conduct workshops through our branches in Khayelitsha so that our members could spread the information."

Khaya Buthelezi, spokesperson for the Rath Foundation, denied the foundation has ever been charged under medical legislation in the country.

He said the vitamin supplements being donated to Sanco Khayelitsha had been defined by the National Department of Health as a nutritional supplements.

"We declare the combination as a food supplement in terms of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act No. 54)".

Buthelezi further said the Dr Rath Health Foundation enjoys a very strong partnership with Sanco in Khayelitsha.

"Due to the dire need in the community, vitamins have been donated to the people of Khayelitsha which Sanco in turn distributes to HIV positive people," he said.

Buthelezi said there was only one facility operating in Khayelitsha, and a second one in Guguletu. There is a registered doctor that assists with the distribution of vitamins and monitors health improvement.

"We are saddened particularly by the accusations of Cosatu and the SACP leveled at the Foundation with no basis whatsoever," he said.

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