9 Nov 2001

TAC Wins MTV Free Your Mind Award

MTV has awarded the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) its Free Your Mind
award for 2001. Pholokgolo Ramothwala and Busisiwe Maqungo, who both
live openly with HIV, received the award at the MTV Europe Music
Awards Ceremony in Germany last night.

In the acceptance speech on behalf of TAC, Ramothwala described how
patents have blocked access to medicine. He pointed out how the US
government has stopped developing countries from licensing generic
versions of patented medicines, yet it has considered doing the same
thing as a result of the tragic deaths due to anthrax.

Maqungo described how her child, Nomazizi, died of HIV/AIDS before her
first birthday. Nomazizi was not given a chance to be born without
HIV. She was denied her constitutional right to be part of a
mother-to-child transmission prevention programme. Maqungo called on
everyone to support the TAC mother-to-child transmission prevention
court case against the government.

TAC thanks MTV for recognising our work. We are honoured to be the
recipients of this award. 

Over the last 3 years, TAC has received a number of prizes. A few
weeks ago, TAC chairperson, Zackie Achmat received the Desmond Tutu
Leadership award.

Below is Busisiwe Macqungo's speech that she delivered at the MTV ceremony.

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Busisiwe Maqungo Speech for MTV Free Your Mind Award
(written version, not a precise transcript)


Last year I lost my child before her first birthday to HIV. I never
got to spend any real time with Nomazizi. She was diagnosed with HIV
when she was one month old.

Because the South African government has failed to implement a
country-wide mother-to-child transmission prevention programme, I was
never given a chance to produce a healthy child without HIV. Nomazizi
was always in and out of hospital. She could not lead a normal life
because she was denied her constitutional rights by the South African
government.

Our President excuses not treating people with HIV/AIDS by saying that
AIDS drugs are too toxic and too expensive. It is strange that these
drugs are not too toxic or too expensive for members of parliament.

After many attempts to negotiate with the government to implement a
country-wide mother-to-child transmission program, the Treatment
Action Campaign has been left with no choice but to take our Minister
of Health to court. I urge everyone to support our court case for
mother-to-child transmission prevention.