UMA KUNGEMANJE, ININI? UMA KUNGEWENA, UBANI?
Helen Keller

Kulolushicilelo lweSHARE siyakumema ukuba ubheke emuva ku-2003, lapho kwahlonywa khona impi, ukuze kwande ukuzibophezela ngokwepolitiki ukuqeda umonakalo wesandulela ngculazi nengculazi. Ngohambo lwakhe lwango-January oluya e-Iraq, uNgqongqoshe wezempilo uTshabalala- Msimang wabophezela ukulekelelwa kwe-Iraq kwezempilo, yiNingizimu Afrika. Izinto zokunakekela kwezempilo e-Iraq, zazihlaselwe kakhulu, uhlelo olungasebenzi kahle lokuqashwa, olubangwa unswinyo oluthinta ukutholakala kwemithi kanye nezempilo. UNgqongqoshe weNingizimu Afrika wezempilo nomlingani wakhe e-Iraq uDokotela Umaid Mubarak, bavumelana ngokuqinisa ubudlelwane babo emikhakheni emithathu, okufaka kuyo imithi yokuvikela. Ngenyanga efanayo uMongameni waseMelika uGeorge Bush, wakhipha u 15 billion wamadola aseMelika wokuzibophezela okuphuthumayo kwingculazi, ?umsebenzi womusa? lapho iMelika iyobe ihola umhlaba wonke ekuphephiseni abantu abangenacala esifweni sendalo.

Andisha Maharaj manning the HIVAN stand at the first national AIDS
Conference held in Durban (03 - 06 August 2003)

Inyanga ka-February yabona ukukhululwa kwesiphakamiso solwabiwo mali esiphuthumayo sengculazi ngu-Bush sokufaka u15 billion wamadola eminyakeni emihlanu. Lemali ephindaphinda kathatha ukuzinikela kweMelika ukunakekela, ukulapha, kanye nokuvikela ingculazi ngo-2004 kuya ku-2008, okubonakalise ukuhlephuka kwemali kwezinye izinhlelo, njengokuhlephuka ngo-9 million wamadola kwezokuhamba, kanye nohlephuka ngo -1 billion wamadola kwezokuqeqesha koMnyango wezeMisebenzi.

Ngomhlaka 19 March, ubusuku bokuhlwithwa kwe-Iraq, uNgqongqoshe wezoMnotho waseNingizimu Afrika u-Trevor Manuel wahlaba ukusetshenziswa kwama antiretrovirals ekulapheni isandulela ngculazi nengculazi njengento okungesiyo, esho nokuthi lokhu kungumosha izimali. Khonamanjalo uNgqongqoshe wezeMpilo uManto Tshabalala-Msimang, owayengekho kuyo yomibili imihlangano yomkhandlu weNingizimu Afrika kazwelonke wengculazi (National AIDS Council-SANAC), ngoFebruary nangoMarch, kubikwa ukuthi waphakamisa u galikhi, ulamula, amafutha e-olive kanye nezambane lase Afrika njengokungcono kunama antiretrovirals.

Ngesikhathi umhlaba ubheke impi eyayiholwa yiMelika yase Iraq ngoApril, kwakuhlasele impi yomthetho sivivinyo ogunyazayo wengculazi nesandulela ngculazi (I HIV/AIDS Authoristion Bill H.R. 1298 ngaphakathi kuKhongolose wase Melika, nontamo lukhuni ababehlongoza futhi besekela kuphela ukuzithiba ocansini njengenlela yokuvikela. Ngenyanga efanayo iGlaxSmithKline, omunye wabakhiqizi abakhulu bomuthi wengculazi emhlabeni, wephula ngengxenye inani lomuthi ohamba phambili wengculazi, iCobivur, emazweni angamashumi ayisithupha nantathu, okufaka kuwo iNingizimu Afrika.

Ekuuvukeni kwesiphakamiso sika Mongameli uBush, esigabeni esikhulu sokumisa impi yase Iraq ngomhlaka 1 May, oweifazane kaKhongolose wase Melika u Nancy Pelosi, waphikisana kakhulu nokufakwa kwamaphesenti angu-33 ezimali zokuvikela ezinhlelweni zokuzithiba ocansini kuphela. Wgqugquzela ukuthi ?iH.R. 1298 iwumthetho sivivinyo okubambisenwe kuwo okufanele siwusekele ngokuziqhenya. Ingumthetho sivivinyo osekelwe ngu-George Bush. Kungani kufanele silahlekelwe ukusekela ngenxa yepolitiki, ikakhulukazi uma izimpilo eziningi kangaka zisengozini?? Umthetho waseMelika wobuholi obumelene nengculazi, umalaleveva, kanye nesifo sofuba wango-2003, ongalufaki ushintsho oluphakanyiswe kamuva nje, washaywa ngomhlaka 16 May 2003, yiMelika.

NgoJune, abaseNingizimu Afrika, bathakasa lapho uBill Clinton ezibophezela kwakhe ekwelapheni abantu abawu 700 000 abanengculazi eminyakeni emihlanu (2003 ? 2008). Ngenyanga efanayo, uMkhandlu wokulawulwa kwemithi wavuma umjovo wokuqala eNingizimu Afrika. Izivivinyo zocwaningo ziyenzeka eGoli nase Thekwini.

UJuly wabona uhambo lomlando lukaMongameli uBush oluya eNingizimu Afrika. Engqungqutheleni yezokusakaza eyayingomhlaka 10 July, uMnumzane uBush noMnumzane uMbeki babalekela ukuphikisana mayelana ngempi yase Iraq, bebambelela ngendlela eyakhayo ezivumelwaneni kwezomnotho, kanye nesiqubulo esiphuthumayo sengculazi. Izingxoxo zabo ezinokuthula zaphazanyiswa ababebhikisha, besho iziqubulo.

Kwabakhona ukunqoba okukhulu ngoAugust 2003. Ingqungquthela yokuqala yengculazi yeNingizimu Afrika yahlangana, kanti usihlalo wayo kwakungu Professor Hoosen Coovadia, omunye wabaphathi be-Hivan osakazwe futhi nonconywa kakhulu, kanye noVictor Daitz, usihlalo wocwaningo ngesandulela ngculazi nengculazi wesizinda iNelson Mandela School of Medicine, eNyuvesi yaseNatali. Ukunxenxa okujulile kwengqungquthela, kwalandelwa masinyane ukucela kwekhabinethi kumnyango wezempilo ukuba kwethulwe uhlaka lokusebenza lwama antiretrovirals njengento ephuthumayo. Ungqongqoshe wezempilo wakhetha ithimba lezokulashwa kwesandulela ngculazi nengculazi, elizohlanganisa ukushicilelwa kohlelo lokusebenza , olwabe selusebenza masinyane ekupheleni kukaSeptember.

Esinye isinyathelo esikhulu ku-2003 kwaba isivumelwano esasayindwa ekuqaleni kuka-September esivumela amazwe asathuthuka ukuba athole imithi evamile yesandulela ngculazi nengculazi. Ingqungquthela yeshumi nantathu yengculazi nezifo ezithethelana ngokocansi yomhlaba wonke i(ICASA), eyayenziwe iSwiss Tropical Institute, yahlangana eNairobi ekupheleni kukaSeptember. Isihloko sayo sithi ?izingqinambi ekutholeni ukunakekela? ingqungquthela yayihanjelwe izikhulu eziwu 7200 zamazwe ayikhulu nesishagalolunye (109).

Lokhu kwalandelwa ngoOctober yisivumelwano sika-Bill Clinton nezinkampani zemithi ezine ukuba zinikeze imithi eshibhile amazwe asathuthuka, kanye nokuvakashela eNdiya kukaMongameli uMbeki. Lapha, kwafikwa esivumelwaneni sokuthi iNdiya inikeze iNingizimu Afrika amithi eshibhile. UOctober futhi wazibonela ukumenyezelwa kohlelo lokuchofoza umunwe lokuhlola ingculazi ukuze kuhlolwe inani lama-cells egazi noma ubungako besandulela ngculazi ngabacwaningi bezifo emazweni ase-Afrika. Ukusayindwa kwesivumelwano esibucayi phakathi kwabalaphi bendabuko bakwaZulu-Natali, kanye nodokotela abamele isizinda sokufundela ubudokotela I Nelson Mandela School of Medicine, saseNyuvesi yaseNatali, enye yezinto eziqavile ngoOctober.

Futhi okunye okubalulekile ngoOctober kwaba ukumenywa kwamaNGO, ikakhulukazi lawo asemkhakheni wezenkolo, ngungqongqoshe wezokuThuthuka koMphakathi uZola Skweyiya abmbisane nomphakathi kuhulumeni ekufakweni kwezicelo zamagranti omphakathi kanye nokunikezwa kwawo. Into ebalulekile necekela phansi lokhukubambisana , eyagcizelelwa yizinhlangano ezazikhona emhlanganweni wokuqala wesigungu somphakathi waseShallcross eThekwini, ukwazi kwezinhlangano eziphansi ukuthola nokuphatha ngendlela umxhaso kahulumeni.

UNovember wabona umhlangano wokuqala weSANAC evuselelwe, kanye nemijovo yokuqala yesandulela ngculazi eGoli naseThekwini. Amahlebezi ngokugcizelela kukahulumeni kuma-medical schemes ukuba anikeze ukulashwa ngama-antiretrovirals ngo-2004, kwamemezela ukuhlephuka kwezimali ezibhekele iziguli eziphethwe izifo zengqondo ezibucayi.

Okulandela ukwethulwa kohlelo lokusetyshenziswa kwama-antiretrovirals yikhabhinethi ekupheleni kukaSeptember, ekusithekeni izingxoxo zikaHulumeni esigabeni sokugcina sika2003 zabheka ukuthola ukusekelwa ngabalaphi bendabuko ekwethuleni kwaloluhlelo kanye nokutholwa kwezikhungo zokwethula kosizo ukuze kugqugquzelwe usizo oludidiyele ekwethulweni kwaloluhlelo. Ukuvunywa kwaloluhlelo yikhabhinethi kwabonakala ngalesisigaba.

Olunye ushintsho kulesisigaba sokugcina, yenzeka ngesikahthi ungqongqoshe wezomnotho enikeza u12 billion wamarandi kwingculazi. Inselelo kuhulumeni nakwabanye ngo 2004 kuya phambili ukuqinisekisa ukuthi lemali isetshenziswa ngendlela ekhaliphile. Enye futhi inselelo ukuqinisekisa ukuzinikela kwabaxhasi ukuxhasa nokusabalalisa ngokulinganayo izimali ezikhona. Lokhu kuyobaluleka kakhulu, njengokusho kwama-activists, uma ukubophezela kuka-Bush kuka 15 billion wamadola iminyaka emihlanu, kwehla kuba u12,863 billion wamadola, uma sekususwe okungaphathelene nengculazi, nokocwaningo.

Ukubaluleka kokusebenzisa izimali ezikhona ngendlela ekhaliphile, kuphoqwa ukuhlephulwa kwemali yokulwa nengculazi eya esikhwameni jikelele samazwe ahlangene (UN) yiWashington, esuka ku-350 million wamadola iya ku-200 million. INingizimu Afrika iyaphoqeleka ukubhekana nokwehla koxhaso okungenzeka esikhathini eside, ikakhulukazi uma izimali zaseMelika ezilinganiselwa ku-4 billion wamadola ngenyanga zisetshenziswa ekugcineni ukuhlala eIraq esikahthini eside.

MRC Vaccine Trials Unit CAB members undergoing a values training exercise

Sekuphele cishe iminyaka emibili kusukela ngo-19 February 2002 lapho ungqongqoshe wezempilo uTshabalala- Msimang wathi ?Iningizimu Afrika ngeke yakwazi ukuthenga imithi yokulwa nengculazi, ngoba idinga imikhumbi yempi yokulwa namazwe afana neMelika?. Izikhali zezinga eliphezulu ezishiwoyo zibiza iNingizimu Afrika amadola awu-5 billion. Ukunikela ngo-12 billion wamarandi nguTrevor Manuel ekulweni nengculazi isikhathi eside, kusikhombisa ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika izinekele kulomkhankaso wengculazi. Kubalulekile-ke ukuhlela kahle ukuze lokhu esikubonayo kube nesisindo.

Ukuze kubonakale ukusebenza kahle, lapho izimali zinganele, ezemfundo ephakeme, uhulumeni, amaNGO kanye nezinkampani, banomsebenzi wokubuza ukuthi: Singasebenza kanjani ndawonye ukuletha imisebemzi yokulwa nengculazi eyehlisa ukuhlasela kwesifo futhi ngesikhathi esifanayo songe izimali?

Ukuphendula lombuzo sibheka phambili, kulolushicilelo lwe-SHARE, kulokhu kusebenzisa imali ngendlela ewusizo, sigcizelela kakhulu imisebenzi yesandulala ngculazi nengculazi. Siphakamisa futhi amagranti akhona kubantu abathintekile ngegciwane, sigcizelela ukuthi bangawathola kanjani. Isandulela ngculazi nengculazi, umthetho nokuchithwa, enye into okufanele ibhekwe, njengoba kuyinto ephambili ukukhombisa ukusebenza kahle kokuhlela emkhakheni wangasese. Sethemba ukuthi uzoluthokozela lolushicilelo lwe SHARE, futhi silindele ukuzwa uvo lwakho.

Izinsiza ezisetshenzisiwe:

On-line news: Associated Press, BBC online, Mail & Guardian, Business Report
Other websites: Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Journalists Against AIDS.
Cabinet Reports: ?State of the Union? address by President Bush on 28 January 2003 Statement to Congress entitled ?HIV/AIDS Prevention is too important to be undermined by politics: We must support what works? by Nancy Pelosi on 01 May 2003

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