Johannesburg
President Thabo Mbeki fired his deputy health minister this week, drawing fire from national and international AIDS activists. One of the only officials to publicly take an HIV test, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge was a vocal critic of what she called “AIDS denial” in the government. She was a fierce opponent of her boss, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, who has advocated treating AIDS with garlic and beetroot rather than drugs, as well as of Mbeki, who has publicly denied that HIV infection leads to AIDS. In announcing Madlala-Routledge’s dismissal, Mbeki said the deputy minister had been insubordinate and had attended an AIDS conference abroad without his approval. AIDS kills about 1,000 South Africans every day.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Today's political cartoons - May 18, 2024Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - a rocky road, innovative legislation, and more
-
5 arguably hilarious cartoons about the 2024 presidential debateCartoons Artists take on the candidates' age gap, sleepyheads, and more
-
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: a solid summer blockbusterThe Week Recommends The big-money movie might be 'a bit silly' but the effects are excellent
