MAKHADO – The Treatment Action Campaign in Limpopo Province says that it is unacceptable and disappointing that the provincial Department of Health is not committed to addressing people about the giving out of anti-retroviral drugs.

This was stressed during a TAC gathering with community stakeholders on March 5, at the local showgrounds, where invited officials from both the Makhado Municipality and the Provincial Department of Health did not avail themselves. Speaking to Mirror, the provincial organiser of the Treatment Action Campaign, Mr Oupa Fazi, said that the gathering followed last year's cabinet statement that the government would roll out anti-retroviral drugs before March this year.

"We wanted the Department of Health in the Province to brief us as to how far they are with the rolling-out of anti-retroviral drugs, so that we can discuss how are we going to make the rolling-out a success in our province."

The TAC National Assistant Organiser, Pholokgolo Ramothwala, said that the Department of Health, "which is not taking the HIV issue seriously," disappointed him. "It is unacceptable to find voters gathering with their leaders sitting in the office. The people of Limpopo must put more pressure on this provincial department," he said.

Ramothwala said that in Mpumalanga, North West and Gauteng, all the MECs attend TAC meetings, because when they do not avail themselves, people pressurise them. "In Limpopo, leaders look as if they are inviting people to come and drag them out of their offices. We are going to put more pressure on them, especially the MEC, on March 11 when we hold our gathering in Polokwane, to come and address the people."