VZCZCXRO7643
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSA #3735 2970737
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 240737Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2380
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 4987
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 9296
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS PRETORIA 003735 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ECON KHIV SF
SUBJECT: ANC DEFENDS EMBATTLED HEALTH MINISTER 
 
REF: PRETORIA 2957 
 
¶1. (U) The National Assembly on 18 October adopted a motion 
of full confidence in embattled Health Minister Manto 
Tshabalala-Msimang, reversing the original motion brought 
 
SIPDIS 
forth by the Democratic Alliance (DA) which called for a 
special committee to probe her fitness to hold public office. 
 Sandra Botha, Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, 
introduced the motion, citing a litany of failures on the 
part of the Minister and her Department saying "the 
yardsticks against which to measure performance...are life 
expectancy, infant mortality, the maternal death rate, and 
the incidence of incurable diseases." 
 
¶2. (U) The DA's request was sparked by recent media reports 
alleging Tshabalala-Msimang's alcoholism, kleptomania, and 
incompetence (reftel).  The ANC has admitted it knew about 
the 1970s theft charge, but has not spoken about other 
allegations.  Tshabalala-Msimang spoke to reporters on 16 
October from a Soweto Hospital (while hand delivering 
bassinets after an expose showed newborn babies sleeping in 
cardboard boxes) saying she is waiting for the right moment 
to speak to the media about the allegations surrounding her. 
 
¶3. (U) The ANC-led Parliament used its 74 percent 
parliamentary majority to reword the resolution rejecting the 
DA's request and instead expressed its full confidence in the 
Health Minister.  When put to a vote, there were 176 votes 
for and 55 against, with two abstentions.   According to 
press reports, ANC chairman of Parliament's Health Committee 
James Ngculu called the DA's motion irrelevant and 
unconstitutional because the Constitution allows anyone to 
become an elected representative five years after being 
convicted of a crime.  He also made some disparaging comments 
about the DA, calling the motion "an onslaught of 
revolutionary forces," and asking ANC MPs how they could 
allow themselves to be savaged by "DA hyenas who are the 
leaders of the right wing in South Africa."  An unnamed ANC 
MP told the press that Tshabalala-Msimang is a very important 
person with strong struggle credentials and that "the party 
will not turn against her now; she will be protected at all 
costs." 
 
¶4. (U) The DA's motion comes on the heels of UNICEF's 
declaration that South Africa is in danger of losing its 
battle against HIV/AIDS, with almost 1,100 South Africans 
dying every day from the disease.  On 12 October, Ann 
Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF, publicly said, "South 
Africa is neglecting most of the 100,000 children born every 
year with HIV/AIDS and half of them are likely to die before 
the age of two."  She also called on the government and 
community leaders to end what she called a state of denial 
and to recognize the magnitude of the problem.  On 17 
October, UNICEF's South Africa representative, Macharia 
Kamau, also stated that South Africa is one of only nine 
countries in the world where infant mortality is rising -- 
from 60 deaths per 1,000 births in 1990, to 95 deaths today. 
The main reason is HIV/AIDS, as new infections and death 
rates are outpacing the number of those being treated, 
according to Kamau.  If present trends continue, Kamau said, 
there could be five million orphans in South Africa by 2015. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The ANC's weekly newsletter, ANC Today (19-25 
October 2007), questioned whether Veneman ever made such 
comments, whom she met with and whether they were black or 
white, and what her true purpose was in visiting the country. 
 The column said, "We do not expect UNICEF to fall into the 
trap to elevate its profile, presumably to raise funds, 
by...joining a counter-productive propaganda bandwagon."  It 
also complained that UNICEF's comments "created space for 
some in our media to repeat the shameless and tired lies 
about our President and Minister of Health."  Mbeki also 
expressed overall disappointment in UNICEF, saying "the noble 
cause (of fighting HIV/AIDS) will not be served by four-day 
visits to our country by "senior UN officials," (quotes in 
original) and their involvement in dishonest propaganda 
campaigns." 
BOST