This is an archive of the Treatment Action Campaign's public documents from
December 1998 until October 2008. I created this website because the TAC's
website appears unmaintained and people were concerned that it
was becoming
increasingly hard to find important documents.
The menu items have
been slightly edited and a new stylesheet applied to the site. But none of the
documents have been edited, not even for minor errors. The text appears on this
site as obtained from the Internet Archive.
The period covered by
the archive encompassed the campaign for HIV medicines, the civil disobedience
campaigns, the Competition Commission complaints, the 2008 xenophobic violence
and the PMTCT, Khayelitsha health workers and Matthias Rath court cases.
On Thursday, 24 August 2006, thousands of people joined TAC's struggle to force the government to listen to the people's demands on health! Coordinated protests and petitioning took place in six provinces in South Africa and in several cities in other countries. We would like to thank everyone for standing with TAC's demands. Continue protesting, leafleting, signing petitions, writing letters and contacting the press to cover our demands until we secure health for all!
|
Province |
Report |
Pictures |
|---|---|---|
|
Gauteng |
In Gauteng, 300 activist marched to Union building. This was very peaceful and the police were not aggressive. Comrades submitted their demands and will be returning next week. Read more |
|
|
Limpopo |
In Limpopo, 450 activists gathered at the Department of Health carrying symbolic coffins, crosses, vrot shoes, which they left behind symbolizing the unnecessary deaths of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The department said they need two weeks to respond to TAC's list of demands. The Head of the HIV Unit told everyone to call daily to ask about the progress. The police were very helpful and the Department of Health's attitude was good. |
|
|
Mpumalanga |
In Mpumalanga, 500 protesters gathered at the Department of Health, where they were not stopped and later went into a meeting that was being held to submit TAC's list of demands. They agreed to return in two weeks for an answer. |
coming soon... |
|
Eastern Cape |
In the Eastern Cape, 400 TAC activists and COSATU supporters marched to the Department of Health and then to the Department of Correctional Services, where they handed over a list of demands. They agreed on a response to the demands in days or they will march back. We would like to thank the police especially Sg. Stemel for all the protection and support of the march because it was an illegal gathering. |
coming soon... |
|
Western Cape |
In the Western Cape, 500 TAC activists and many TAC allies and partners met at St. George's Cathedral for an Interfaith Service was powerful and had speakers from TAC and Churches. After the service one group marched to the Department of Health and the other marched to the Department of Correctional Services .At the DCS the police gave protesters lots of grief. The head of the department and others were away at a strategic meeting, so finally TAC activists forced their way into the building to demand to see Mrs. Myburgh, who was acting head that day. She refused to come down and the police began to beat and shoot tear gas at the crowd. About 20 people were affected by the police's aggression. Eventually the official came out and TAC activists were able to hand her the list of demands. TAC will be back at the DCS in a week for their answer. TAC supporters marched over to join the other comrades at the Department of Health, where the Sipho Mthathi, TAC Chairperson, were staging a sit-in inside the lobby of the Provincial Office until they too received an answer from the previous week's sit-in. After hearing that President Mbeki was in the Provincial Legislature, where he was addressing a group of traditional healers, TAC activists marched to him to demand that he come down and address the people. He of course, did not come down. Finally, Sipho addressed the crowd, after a representative of the Premieres office addressed the people and said publicly that they are addressing our demands. We will back next week. We would like to acknowledge Mr Molefe and Mr Arendse of the Provincial Department of Correctional Services for all their support and understanding at Thursday's action. |
|
|
Kwazulu Natal |
In Kwazulu Natal more than 500 supports gathered at the Provincial Legislature and handed over the list of demands and gave them until Monday for a written reply. At the meeting an ex-inmate spoke and they will meet with the Premiere's office next week as well as have another action on August 29, Tuesday at the Mahatma Ghandi Hospital. |
coming soon... |
|
Place |
Report |
Pictures |
|---|---|---|
|
London, UK |
In London, UK four activist presented demands to the High Commission and threatened to protest if they are not met. |
coming soon |
|
Washington DC, US |
In Washington DC, US, forty activists, community members, people living with AIDS and medical students held either lemon or garlic in protest of Manto's health policies. Overall the tone was cheerful and three Embassy representatives went outside to pick up the large format letter with TAC's demands. They refused to take the lemons and garlic. |
|
|
Los Angeles, US |
In Los Angeles, US, fifteen people picketed with much enthusiasm until the Consul himself came to receive the letter. |
coming soon... |
|
Chicago, US |
In Chicago, US, over fifty people gather at the South African Consulate to picket, The consulate had abruptly closed, perhaps due to the earlier actions in Canada, NY and DC. Protesters signed a large format letter and submitted it to the Consulate |
|
|
New York, US |
In New York, US, over 40 TAC supporters, including Housing Works, African Services Committee and HIV positive people picketed and chanted in front of the Mission to the United Nations. |
|
|
Ottawa, Canada |
In Ottawa, Canada, a small group of people met outside the South African Embassy with banners and were met by four RCMP officers, one of whom arranged for the High Commissioner to meet with the TAC Spokesperson to accept the petitions. |
coming soon... |
|
Toronto, Canada |
In Toronto, Canada, twenty activists presented their list of demands to the Consul-General, while picketing with a 5ft letter and signs. The Consul came out to accept the letter and promised to pass it along. |
THANK YOU to everyone who is with us in this struggle. If there corrections to be made on the information above, or additional actions that were not recorded email: .