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.
STAND UP FOR OUR LIVES - TREAT THE PEOPLE!
Details of March on 14 February 2003
Advice for Marchers, Chairs, Speakers and Media
- Permission for the march has been granted by the City Council with the consent of the police and traffic departments.
- Please bring water, hats, sunscreen and umbrellas (in case of rain or sun) - we will supply water, but to avoid queues or shortages, it is better to bring your own and something to eat.
- The gathering point for the march is Heerengracht Street, about 50 metres from the corner of Herzog Boulevard. The road lanes that run alongside Monte Carlo building will be available for marchers (i.e. closed to traffic). Please note that Herzog Boulevard will be closed for use by the military for opening of Parliament from early Friday morning. Adderley Street will also be closed to traffic.
- Busses organised by TAC and our allies will drop marchers off at Heerengracht Street and then drive to Keizergracht Street to Park. This is where passengers will later rejoin their busses.
- Please ensure you have any medication you might need.
- A St. Johns ambulance team will be on duty throughout the march.
- There will be portable toilets at the gathering point and at Keizergracht Street.
- Traffic is very heavy during the opening of parliament, so if you are driving to the march give yourself additional time to compensate.
- An information table will:
-
- Distribute apples and water
- Distribute a pamphlet explaining the purpose of the march and march logistics
- Have someone answering requests from the media
- Have someone dealing with requests and emergencies
- Members of the media should please contact Nonkosi Khumalo on 072 231 1422 during the event.
- Speakers, chairs and march leaders should please contact Deena Bosch on 083 302 2029 upon arriving at the event. Deena will escort you to the platform.
- In an emergency and you cannot get to the information desk, please contact Rukia Cornelius on 082 785 6468.
- Marshals will be easily identifiable. Please listen to their instructions in order to ensure safety and comfort.
- Some people have indicated that they will be dressing in their work/professional attire, e.g. academics, nurses and doctors. Please feel encouraged to do so.
Metro Trains
Marchers wearing HIV-positive, COSATU, FEDUSA or SACTWU t-shirts, or carrying the TAC march pamphlet will be allowed to use the trains for free to proceed to and from the march between 9am and 3pm on the 14th of February.
Route
Shortly after the memorandum is handed to US Consulate, the march will proceed from Heerengracht Street into Adderley Street, then left into Darling Street and right into Plein Street. It will stop at the Louis Botha statue in front of Parliament. The distance from Heerengracht Street to Parliament is approximately 1.5km. After the memorandum has been handed over to Parliament, those who came on busses will be escorted to Kaizergracht Street via Plein and Darling Streets. Those using metro trains should cross the Grand Parade back to the train station.
Layout of March
- When the march begins, the truck with the PA system will drive 400 to 500 metres in front of the marshals
- There will be adequate space for photographers and TV cameramen between the truck and the first row
- Front row: 20 - 30 PWAs
- Second row: Religious leaders
- Third row: Union leaders
- Fourth group People with Disabilities
- Fifth group Health-Care Workers
- Sixth group: Drag Queens
- Seventh group Artists and actors
- Eighth group:Academics and teachers
- Ninth group: School students and their supervisers / guardians
- Tenth group: TAC Choir - the Generics!
- Then each organisation/delegation starts marching, leaving a few metres between themselves and the group in front
- In the middle: Drummers
- At the very back: 4 mini-busses for picking up people too tired to walk and the ambulance
Times
The event begins at 11am. There will be music, poetry, singing and speeches.
The march will proceed from 1pm. Although we have advertised 12pm as the start of the march, we reached a compromise with the City Council on this.
Draft Programme
OPENING GATHERING - Heerengracht - Chairs: Theo Steele and Thabo Cele
11:00 - Drummers
11:10 - Universal Prayer lead by religious leaders
11:15 - Poem by Edward Mabunda
11:20 - TAC Choir, the Generics (1 song)
11:25 - Cape Town Opera
11:45 - Pregs Govender former ANC MP
11:50 - Message of support from Themba Mdima, ATTN SA
11:53 - Message of Support from Gretchen Humphries, FEDUSA
11:56 - Hazel Tau - person living with HIV/AIDS
12:00 - Sinazo Kama (with assistance from Vuyiseka Dubula) - young person living with HIV/AIDS
12:04 - TAC Choir, the Generics (2 songs)
SPEECHES
12:15 - Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane - explains the support of faith leaders for a treatment plan
12:20 - Bongi Mkhutyukelwa and Obed Qulo call the marchers to order and take over chair
12:23 - Mark Heywood explains memo to US Consulate
12:28 - A delegation will go to the US Consulate to hand over the memorandum
12:30 - Drummers
12:35 - TAC Choir, the Generics, will lead the marchers in songs until 1pm
13:00 - Archbishop calls everyone to march
PARLIAMENT
13:30 - TAC Choir, Generics, sing until entire march arrives
13:50 (or when marchers have all arrived) - Vuyiseka Dubula and Thembi Zungu call the marchers to order and take over chair
13:55 - Comrade Willie Madisha (Cosatu President) explains the need for a Treatment Plan
14:00 - Zackie Achmat
14:08 - Sipho Mthathi and Pholokgolo Ramothwala read out memorandum
14:12 - Memorandum is handed over to Government recipients by Zackie Achmat, Nomfundo Dubula and Selma Browde
14:15 - Recipients respond
14:25 - Singing of the national anthem
14:30 - People proceed back to trains and busses (under the direction of the march marshals)
Thank You!
We have received numerous letters of support, petitions and copies of letters sent to government ministers and South African embassies. We are truly grateful for this show of support. We will try our best to thank everyone personally, but in the meanwhile please accept TAC's heartfelt thanks.