SUPPORT THE TREATMENT ACTION CAMPAIGN (TAC)

CAMPAIGNS > Access to AIDS Treatment in South Africa


	HOME HEALTH GAP About HGAP Accomplishments Donate FAQ Events
	CAMPAIGNS Action Alerts Presidential Campaign AIDS Fund Patents & Medicine Corporations & AIDS
	PRESS Press Releases In the News Spokespeople
	RESOURCES HGAP Reports Useful Links
	CONTACT US
	SEARCH

SUPPORT THE TREATMENT ACTION CAMPAIGN (TAC)

SOLIDARITY ACTIONS AND EVENTS IN THE U.S.

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING IN THE U.S.: Write to info@healthgap.org

GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION: Thursday, April 24

Join Health GAP, ACT UP and Africa policy activists as we deliver 600 pairs of shoes to the South Africa embassy in Washington DC--One pair for each person who dies in South Africa each day because of lack of access to HIV/AIDS treatment.

1pm DEMONSTRATION: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC on Thursday, April 24. Free bus from NYC and Philadelphia. Call 212-674-9598 or email salynch@healthgap.org to reserve bus seats.

ADD YOUR VOICE TO OURS. TAKE ACTION TODAY

On March 20 TAC members converged at police stations in Durban, Sharpeville, and Cape Town to charge the South African Minister of Health and the South African Minister of Finance with homicide for denying people with HIV access to anti-retrovirals. TAC then called on police to arrest the Ministers.

The activists were risking arrest, themselves; in Durban, police used brutality in response to non-violent activists, turning water cannons on protesters, using tear gas and batons. Several TAC members are hospitalized as a result of the police brutality. TAC has vowed that actions will continue.

Today, March 25, TAC members disrupted a speech on public health by the Minister of Health, Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, to deliver a statement: "...You have deceived, misrepresented, delayed and denied for too long. We hope you will prove us wrong by making an unequivocal and irreversible commitment to anti-retroviral therapy." (For the full text of the statement, see below.)

WHAT YOU CAN DO

GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION: Thursday, April 24

1pm DEMONSTRATION: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC on Thursday, April 24. Free bus from NYC and Philadelphia. Call 212-674-9598 or email salynch@healthgap.org to reserve bus seats.

1) fax letters of support for the TAC campaign from March 25-April 2 to the South African Embassy and Consulates in the U.S. (contact information and links to sample text below)

2) place telephone calls in support of TAC to the South African Embassy and Consulates (contact information and sample telephone script below)

3) watch this space for information regarding events in the U.S. for April 27, the International Day of Action called for by TAC or go to www.healthgap.org

4) forward this alert

For more information:

For more information:
TAC's website: www.tac.org.za

CONTACT INFORMATION If you or your organization would like to write your own letter in support of TAC, please write to your local consulate as well as to the following people by March 28, 2003. Remember to copy (cc) your letters to TAC at info@tac.org.za

The Honorable JG Zuma
Deputy President, South Africa:
Via Fax: 011-27-12-323-3114
E-mail: Deputypresident@po.gov.za

The Honorable Dr NC Dlamini-Zuma
Minister of Foreign Affairs:
Via Fax: 011-27-12-351-0253
E-mail: media@foreign.gov.za

Ms Lakela Kaunda
Chief Director: Communication and Spokesperson
Via E-mail: lakela@po.gov.za

Deputy Chief of Mission Professor Thandabantu Nhlapo
South African Embassy
Via Fax: 202-265-1607
Main Telephone: (202) 232-4400

Consul General Thami Ngwevela
South African Consulate General - New York
Via Fax: 212-213-0102
Main Telephone: 212-213-4880

Consul General Glaudine Mtshali
South African Consulate General - Los Angeles
Via Fax: 323-651-5969
Main Telephone: (323) 651-0902

Consul General Pat Sonjani
South African Consulate General - Chicago
Via Fax: 312-939-2588
Main Telephone: 312-939-7929

Please make telephone calls from March 25-April 2 to South Africa's Embassy and Consulates, as well.

The tone of telephone calls should be very firm, but polite. Tell the person on the phone you would like to speak with someone about your support for the efforts of AIDS activists who launched a civil disobedience campaign March 20.

Here is a sample script for telephone calls. Be sure to leave your contact information, as well:

"My name is _____________ and I am calling on behalf of ____________. I am calling to express my strong support for Treatment Action Campaign's (TAC's) non-violent civil disobedience campaign, which began March 20.

People with AIDS are dying for access to treatment. They deserve the right to live. The South African government has refused to sign and implement a treatment and prevention plan that includes anti-retroviral treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS.

600 South Africans are dying with AIDS every day. I urge the South African government to immediately reconsider its decision and support access to treatment and care for South Africans with AIDS, including anti-retrovirals.

I also want to strongly condemn the violence used

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Send your own letter to South Africa consulates. See a sample letter.
If you are close to Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington DC, or New York City, request a meeting with consulate officials. Get contact information HERE.
Write a letter to the editor of local and major newspapers. (Coming Soon)
Organize an event for the global day of action at a consulate, on your campus, in your town. Get info HERE.

Be sure to notify TAC of the actions you are taking and copy them on letters and press releases. Write to info@tac.org.za.

And keep up with the campaign--go to http://www.tac.org.za.

AVAILABLE ON THIS SITE OR FROM HEALTH GAP:
(Write to Health GAP at info@healthgap.org)

TAC's statement on Civil Disobedience Campaign & "Stand Up for Our Lives" campaign, HERE
TAC's letter calling for Global Day of Action and international solidarity, HERE.
updates on solidarity events in the U.S. and how to organize your own event, HERE.
information on where to send your letter, or request for a meeting with consulate officials in the US, HERE.
sample letter to the editors, (Coming Soon).
sample short letter to consulates, HERE.
template of press releases for solidairty actions on the Global Day of Action, (Coming Soon).
Health GAP's letter to the South African government, HERE.

TAC Appeal for International Day of Action and Solidarity

Call for International Day of Action on 24 April 2003

TAC appeals to our international allies to organise a day of Action on 24 April 2003 to urge the South African Government to save millions of lives by signing the NEDLAC treatment and prevention plan and making an unequivocal, irreversible commitment to the implementation of antiretroviral therapy in the South African public sector. Pressurising the South African Government to changing its policy is a crucial part of the international campaign to improve access to treatment. Not only does South Africa have the highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS, but by successfully implementing a treatment programme in South Africa, the path will be opened for improving the capacity of other Sub-Saharan African countries to treat. This is because South Africa has the generic pharmaceutical industry, skills and resources to assist other African countries. Furthermore, the pandering to HIV denialism by the South African Government has taken much of the focus off the pharmaceutical industry's profiteering and the failure of developed countries to sufficiently fund the Global Fund.

Through international solidarity, activists have made enormous progress in the struggle for access to treatment. We believe a day of international action will play a critical role in reversing the South African Government's failure to treat.�

As with our previous international days of action, we will place planned events up on our website. We encourage organisations to come up with their own ideas for action, but we request that all actions be peaceful and dignified. For TAC's civil disobedience campaign in March, we encourage organisations to continue letter-writing campaigns and meetings with SA consulate officials. We will be increasing the intensity of the civil disobedience campaign in April, but we hope that the South African government will change its policies on HIV/AIDS so that this will not be necessary.

[ENDS]

TAC Appeal for International Solidarity for March to Opening of Parliament on 14 February 2003

Dear friends, comrades and allies

On 14 February 2003, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) is organizing a "Stand Up for Our Lives" march in Cape Town. This march will mark the opening of Parliament by President Thabo Mbeki. This will be one of the last opportunities for the South African government to demonstrate goodwill and to avoid civil conflict on HIV/AIDS.

We want this march to be the biggest national HIV/AIDS demonstration to show the will of the people in support of an HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention plan. The march already has the support of trade unions, religious leaders, youth and thousands of ordinary people. This is an appeal to our international allies to write to the South African government requesting that they sign and implement a treatment and prevention plan that includes anti-retroviral treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS. The letter should also appeal to the government to immediately apply for compulsory licences against the drug companies to ensure an affordable and sustainable local supply of generic anti-retroviral medicines. You can write to your local consulate or embassy. Or, fax the Deputy President Mr. Jacob Zuma or the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

Our march will also pass the US Consulate. We are saying to the South African government: "We are standing up for our lives. Act now to save our country and continent." We are saying to the US government: "Stop militarism and military spending. Spend money on the real threats to global human security: poverty, environmental degradation and ill health. We urge the US government to fund the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment."

We cannot wait any longer for a visible and dynamic response from the government, business and international community. We do not need any more reports to tell us what we already know - HIV/AIDS is killing 600 people a day in this country and ruining lives and hopes. But with will and commitment this does not have to happen. With leadership from business and government, together with labour and communities, it is still possible to save lives and restore hope.

On 19/20 January 2003, the TAC National Executive and more than 100 activists, trade union, religious and people re-affirmed that if government fails to sign and implement an national treatment and prevention plan that we will start a national campaign of civil disobedience. We ask you to write to the South African government to avoid unnecessary conflict and instead to save the lives of our people.

Internationally, the work of MSF, Consumer Project on Technology, HealthGAP, ACT-UP, OXFAM, PATAM, IGLHRC, Bread for the World, GMHC, Action Southern Africa, Southern African Development Fund, Student Global AIDS Campaign, ATTAC, Brazilian HIV/AIDS NGOs, all the organisations of PATAM and others have sustained HIV/AIDS activism and a global conscience in the epidemic. We appeal to all organisations and individuals to write to the South African government and to assist in saving millions of lives in our country.

Thank you for your support and solidarity. The relevant contact addresses are pasted below. Please send your letters on or before 14 February 2003 and copy them to info@tac.org.za

Regards

Zackie Achmat, Nathan Geffen, Sindiswa Godwana, Mark Heywood, Nonkosi Khumalo, Mandla Majola, Tsakane Mangwane, Sipho Mthathi and Theo Steele on behalf of the Treatment Action Campaign

Government Addresses

Minister of Foreign Affairs:
Dr NC Dlamini-Zuma
PRETORIA Tel: + 2712 351 0006
Fax: +27 12 351 0253
E-mail: media@foreign.gov.za

Deputy President:
Mr JG Zuma
Pretoria Tel. +27 12 300 5200
Fax: +27 12 323 3114
E-mail: Deputypresident@po.gov.za
Chief Director: Communication and Spokesperson
Ms Lakela Kaunda **
Cellphone: +27 82 782 2575
E-mail: lakela@po.gov.za

ACTION & INFO

"Stand Up for Our Lives" march:

TAC's statement & briefing document

TAC's call for intl solidarity

Action & Info:

Sample Letters, etc.:

Sample press release

Sample ltr to editor

Sample letter of support