Issued by Department of Health
25 April 2006
The Department of Health is encouraged by the statement made by Treatment Action Campaign and AIDS Law Project leader, Mark Heywood that the TAC will reconsider its decision to decline government invitation to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV and AIDS.
Heywood, who is the head of ALP as well as the treasurer of the TAC made the statement during an interview with Xolani Gwala of the Morning Talk programme in Safm yesterday.
TAC General Secretary, Sipho Mthathi initially declined an invitation by the Department of Health to be part of 14 civil society representatives to join the South African delegation to the UNGASS to be held in New York from May 31 - June 02.
Heywood's statement came after the Department of Health reiterated its position during this programme that Mthathi was invited to the delegation as an office bearer of the TAC, and not in her personal capacity as previously understood by the TAC.
The invitation has no conditions limiting the activities of civil society representatives. The request is that the representatives attend regular meetings of the country delegation during the course of the UNGASS to ensure that South Africa is represented in most of the parallel sessions and country delegates are able to share information coming out of these parallel activities.
The Department of Health urges that the TAC to urgently resolve this matter to allow for the Department to continue with the logistical arrangement regarding the delegation's participation at the UNGASS.
We hope that the TAC can endorse Mthathi as the organisation's representative in the country delegation.
Contact: Sibani Mngadi @ 0827720161