The President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki is remaining steadfast in not declaring his country in a state of crisis due to its high incidence of AIDS. By declaring a "state of emergency" this status entitles the country of SA to below market medical supplies to help fight against the dreaded disease. It is estimated that a little over 10% of SA's population of 42.5 million are HIV-positive. The three-combination AIDS cocktail drug cost roughly $10,000.00. This ammount exceedes the average income in SA!! If 10% of the SA poppulation are HIV positive it is only reasonable to infer that 10% of the indigenous members of the 19th Episcopal District are also HIV positive. Mbeki's resoning for resisting public disclosure about the "crisis" status of his country rests in the unfavorable reception this might have for attracting global capital and investment in SA. In short, no international investor is interested in making investment decisions in perceived "unstable markets". Is Mbeki's economic pragmatism coming at too much of a risk?? QED

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

Answers

10% is already to high. I can't imagine why he would not admit this as an emergency. It sounds like a prideful thing. If this is the case, they could be in for a fall because of their leader.

Any problem of that magnitude should be treated as if it were right next door. When we ignore things, and belittle the problem, we are in a sense invited that trouble to his us sooner or later. In South Africa, it should have already been in a state of emergency.

Not to get on another subject, but in the US we ignored AIDS, Gang violence, teenage shootings, until we realized these problems were not isolated to a certain group or culture. And now look at what happened because we took waited late to take any of these issues seriously. They are just as close to all of us as next door.

In Christ, Carmen

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

I am baffled by Mr. Mbeki's response to the AIDS crisis in his country. He denied that the HIV virus causes AIDS. This is also a position that Tony Brown took in his 1995 book called BLACK LIES WHITE LIES. They both attributed the AIDS disease to poverty and malnutrition. Has Mr. Mbeki rescinded this position?

JazzMan

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001