TAC launches its People’s Health Manifesto 2021 and calls on politicians to account at community events across 8 provinces
Johannesburg, 14 October 2021 – The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) today launched its ‘People’s Health Manifesto’. This manifesto is a result of extensive engagement with our membership and communities. TAC will be conducting a number of public dialogues and other events as part of our effort to make politicians more responsive to the needs of our communities. In the manifesto, we pose questions based on twelve themes to all political parties and independent candidates. We have sent our questions and a copy of our manifesto to all political parties and will publish their responses on October 28.
Our manifesto will be distributed widely to the broader community organisations so that they become familiar with the contents.
We call on political parties to respond to the serious questions posed by the TAC.
We in turn urge South Africans to engage with these responses and promises and hold them accountable after the elections.
The vast majority of people in South Africa are reliant on the public healthcare system — including the vast majority of our members. It’s an ailing system that at its best is under-resourced; at its worst it is severely dysfunctional. COVID-19 has put more pressure on the system and led to a decline in overall number of visits to health facilities compared to previous years. Fewer HIV and TB tests have been carried out that will lead to more people with undiagnosed HIV or TB, and increase the number of people not on treatment.
As a country, we have the largest number of people living with HIV at 7.8 million — yet we are dangerously off-track to meet global targets to eradicate AIDS by 2030. We are falling behind most other countries in the region. Too many people living with HIV are lost before they start ARVs and once they do start treatment, they face severe retention challenges. The failure to make sufficient progress towards these global targets can be directly linked back to the crisis in our clinics and poor-quality public healthcare services.
Often we start queueing outside the gates as early as 4am, only to wait all day, to never be seen. We get to the clinic, only to be sent home empty handed without the medicines we need. In many cases the nurses are overworked and under-resourced. Often, they shout at us. Doctors are scarce. Our files get lost or go missing. We wait in tiny overcrowded rooms, or sit outside without shade or seats even if we are elderly or sick. When we eventually get seen, in some clinics all the patients can see and hear our consultation. The buildings are often falling apart. We use pit latrine toilets. Equipment is missing or broken. The clinic committees we rely on to solve these problems either don’t exist, or don’t know what they should do.
Many of the bottlenecks standing in the way of fixing our healthcare system stem from poor quality governance and prioritising political interests over people. Often, politically appointed individuals, including councillors, lack the competence, commitment, or political will to address the very serious problems plaguing our healthcare system at various levels.
It is in this context that TAC has produced the 2021 People’s Health Manifesto, outlining what we consider to be the key health related issues in the upcoming elections.
You can find the full People’s Health Manifesto 2021 here: https://www.tac.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/TAC-A-Peoples-Health-Manifesto-2.pdf
Notes:
TAC remains independent from any political parties and our primary responsibility remains to serve the interests of our members and other users of the public healthcare system. That said, direct engagement with political parties at all levels is critical to increase accountability and force a more proactive and committed response to the collapse of our healthcare system.
Launch events will take place as follows:
Gauteng
Manifesto Launch
Time: 10:00 AM
Date: 15 October 2021
Venue: Orlando YMCA
Contact person: Teboho Tenyane, TAC provincial chairperson on 060 392 7249
Time: 10:00 AM
Date: 22 October 2021
Venue: Mamelodi Matimba Hall
Contact person: Phillip Mailwane, TAC provincial Secretary on 083 935 6137
Eastern Cape
Manifesto Launch
Time: 10:00 AM
Date: 19 October 2021
Venue: Lusikiskiki Joe Slovo Hall
Contact person: Noloyiso Ntamehlo, TAC provincial manager on 072 023 8937
Time: 10:00 AM
Date: 21 October 2021
Venue: City Life Church-East London
Contact person: Maria Mdakana, TAC Provincial Trainer on 063 060 3137
KwaZulu-Natal
Manifesto Launch
Time: 10:00 AM
Date: 20 October 2021
Venue: Diakonia Council of Churches
Contact person: Bongiwe Ndlovu, TAC provincial chairperson on 066 161 1435
Time: 10:00 AM
Date: 27 October 2021
Venue: Edendale Lay Centre
Contact person: Mzamo Zondi, TAC provincial manager on 072 023 9601
Limpopo
Mopani Manifesto Launch
Time: 10:00 AM
Date: 19 October
Venue: Unity of Faith Church, Giyani Section F
Contact person: Anna Maluleke, TAC provincial chairperson on 083 590 8384
Vhembe Manifesto Launch
Time: 10:00 AM
Date: 22 October
Venue: Richards Hall, Shayandima
Contact person: Boster Chauke, Tac provincial secretary on 083 352 0299
Mpumalanga
Manifesto Launch
Time: 10:00 AM
Date: 19 October 2021
Venue: Kwa-Mhlanga Community Hall
Contact person: Sihle Shabalala, TAC provincial manager on 072 010 2274
Time: 10:00 AM
Date: 21 October 2021
Venue: Valencia Community Hall
Contact person: Owen Nhlanhla, District Organiser on 066 161 1437
Western Cape
Manifesto Launch
Time: 10:00 AM
Date: 20 October 2021
Venue: Phakamisani Primary School
Contact person: Siphokazi Cele, District Organiser on 072 899 4897
Time: 10:00 AM
Date: 21 October 2021
Venue: Isivivana Auditorium Khayelitsha
Contact person: Steve Khumla, TAC provincial chairperson on 078 085 6307
North West
Manifesto Launch
Time: 10:00 AM
Date: 22 October 20221
Venue: Lutheran Church Center
Contact person: Ludick Mabyane, TAC provincial chairperson on 066 161 1043
Time: 10:00 AM
Date: 25 October 2021
Venue: Barolong Ratshidi Hall
Contact person: Tsholofelo Molokoane, Community Mobiliser on 076 981 6654
Free State
Manifesto Launch
Time: 10:00 AM
Date: 26 October 2021
Venue: Dr Mogoma School-Welkom
Contact person: Judith Mokoena, District Organiser on 067 739 1381
Time: 10:00 AM
Date: 28 October 2021
Venue: Phuthadichaba Hall (Qwaqwa)
Contact person: Mofokeng Moshoeshoe, TAC provincial Secretary on 071 450 9681
For media enquiries, please contact:
Xabisa Qwabe (Media and Communications Officer): xabisa.qwabe@tac.org.za
076 850 6736
