TAC: 'Arrest Manto'
2006-08-18 12:02
Special Report
The South African government has announced a joint venture to reduce the cost of anti-retroviral drugs with a Swiss company.
Cape Town - Scores of chanting Treatment Action Campaign protesters on Friday occupied a building housing offices of the Western Cape provincial government to demand the arrest of Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.
The activists tried to take the lift to the 20th floor where health MEC Pierre Uys has his office, but were foiled by security officials who immobilised the lifts.
About a hundred of them gathered in the foyer of the building, chanting "Arrest Manto".
Their demand follows the death on one of the applicants in the Westville prison antiretroviral (ARV) court case.
Fifteen prisoners and the TAC took the departments of health and correctional services to court and last month won a ruling ordering government to give prisoners a ARVs with immediate effect.
The departments have appealed against the ruling.
TAC chairperson Zackie Achmat said on Friday that protesters wanted to meet premier Ebrahim Rasool.
"We are here until Ebrahim Rasool comes down to speak to us and carries our message to government."
A handful of police with shotguns monitored the protest from outside the building.
- SAPA