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SOUTH AFRlCA IN MY

FANTASY WORlD

'From bushveld through deserts

and forests, up winter snow clad
peaks down to wide, unspoiled

beaches and coastal wetlands,
lies the sprawling land called

South Africa. This land of
unequalled splendour and

diversity beckons you ....: These
words, from the SATOUR website

description of South Africa,
entice multitudes of tourists to

our exquisite beaches and sites

all year round. There is no doubt
that with so much exceptional

natural beauty South Africa is a

popular tourist destination. On

just one such perfect day
recently, under cornfiower blue

Cape Town skies, with the
soothing sound of rolling waves

in the background and the
fragrant smell of fresh spring

flowers, I dreamed of a perfect

South Africa.

In this fantasy South Africa,

cricket was played - well, like

cricket should be played, and
bribing and betting were kept to

the blackjack tables. Every child

had equal schooling opportunity,
and all experienced the joy of learning from enthusiastic
educators equipped with more than minimal learning aids. In

this perfect South Africa minibus taxis indicated when stopping

and gave way politely to pedestrians. Tax payers' money went to

social upliftment and provision of clean water and housing for

all rather than on submarines and warheads. The gravy train
was traded in for an AI DS awareness 'Lovelife' train. Personal

safety and private belongings were not violated by sundry

thieves and criminals. There was more job security for our rugby

coaches and the Rand rallied and even superseded the Dollar!

Court cases were used to bring criminals to book, and were not

needed to bring rationality to government policy. Presidential

campaigns from neighbouring states to the north were based on

sound legal and humanitarian principles - despots were not

tolerated and were quickly and effectively deposed.

In this wonderful, vivid dream, our own president directed state

funding to well-organised target-

driven primary prevention
programmes that resulted in a

falling HIV incidence rate among
our young population. This same

leader was frequently seen
visiting the sick and orphaned,

listening to their plight and doing
all that he could to alleviate the
suffering that HIV infiicts. He had

issued a loud call to arms to all

governmental ministers, depart-
ments and organisations to

mobilise all resources in all areas
so as to tackle this challenge

head-on. Every expectant mother
throughout the country had

access to non-discriminatory HIV

testing and the choice of
maternal transmission prophylaxis

and formula feeding. In this

dream our president had called in
African and local experts to

advise on the best methods for

providing equal and cost-

effective universal access to
antiretrovirals. South Africa was

blazing a trail and was foremost

in showing the way to other

African countries with regard to

providing comprehensive care for

the HN-infected. This provided an

inspiring example of how to

utilise cheaper agents and truly African-friendly methods of

drug provision and monitoring.

But then - Poof! - the dream ended and reality swept in. While

the world observed World AIDS day, and many in this country
attended remembrance services, art exhibition openings and

other sundry activities to commemorate and heighten HN

awareness, our president attended a meeting of the ANC

national executive committee. His spokesperson hastened to

assure us all that he was involved via 'institutions' and that his

deputy was dealing with the problem of HIV/AIDS while

presumably he dealt with more pressing problems.

One such institution which Jacob Zuma does chair is the South

African National AIDS Council (SANAC). Even if you are involved

in HIV care you would be forgiven for not knowing about the

existence of this council, despite the recent publicity it received

for the dubious highlight of SANAe's year being the launch of

the government's HIV/AIDS programme in Braille. The deputy

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chief executive, Yacoob Abba-Omar, feels that SANAe's work has
'been penetrating deeper and deeper and whilst its profile [isn't]
great, the effect has been felt: In the words of another council

member, 'the last 2 years have been putting the building blocks
in place and the council [is] still in the developmental phase: A

classic case of 'while Rome burns: I am inclined to prefer the
words of lucky Mazibuko. He too is a council member but

acknowledges that the mood among members is one of
dissa isfaction, that little difference has been made and that

SANAC should rather be an independent body since the
government tends to dominate.

Government domination seems to be another recurring theme
recently. I was very dismayed to see that the Human Rights

Commission (HRC) had pulled out from the Treatment Action
Campaign's (TAC) mother-ta-child court case because of

government pressure. Anne Routier, the former chairperson of

policy and planning of the same HRC recently asked if the HRC
is too effete to stand up for those who cannot yet stand, namely

those pregnant women throughout the country who face the

possibility of transmitting the virus to their unborn children and
who currently have no opportunity to do something about it. She

ends her comments with an even more powerful question: how

long will the HRC, which has the strongest powers of any human
rights commission in the world, continue to roll over and lie
down?

Even more disturbing in this pattern of government influence

was the apparent retraction of statements by our former

president on World AIDS Day. I was thrilled to read on front page

news that Nelson Mandela had visited Beautiful Gate in

Crossroads and had sent a clear message to the government:
'Heads of State and their first ladies must be in the forefront of

the campaign to ght AIDS. We must combine various strategies

with giving people the necessary drugs to prevent the disease

getting the upper hand: But then just a few short hours later at
the opening of the Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island,
the former president said that journalists had misinterpreted the

comments he had made earlier in the day at Crossroads and
rejected that he had in any way attacked Mbe i's stance on AIDS.

This retraction seemingly followed a phone call from Mbeki's
office after his visit to the AIDS Care Centre. One wonders how

we will ever get out of this impasse if constructive criticism is
not tolerated and institutions are hamstrung by the need to

conform to government policy regardless of how wrong or
harmful it is.

A highlight of my own World AIDS Day activities was attending

the opening of the Higgin's Trust pho agraphic exhibition
entitled 'Positive lives: Zackie Achmat opened the exhibition and

in his quiet but forthright way questioned why a court case such

as the MTCT case against the government was even being waged
this week. The futile waste of energy, time and resources required

to bring our government thinking into line with the rest of the

continent, and indeed the world, is saddening.

The exhibition currently running at the South African National

Gallery of Art until March is wonderful. POignant pictures and

stories from artists worldwide are captured and those of you
familiar with Gideon Mendel's work will see an abundance of it

on display. In the words of Zackie, those of us who are
continually in the business of caring for, fighting for, supporting

and treating those who have been infected and affected by HIV

and AIDS will have the opportunity, when standing in front of

these pictures and portraits, to mourn and grieve, and this is a

good thing to do. I highly recommend the pilgrimage.

lINDA-GAll BEKKER

Monaging Editor

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