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On October 9, hundreds of activists
wearing T-shirts emblazoned with “HIV Positive” marched to the offices of the National
AIDS Council in Harare, Zimbabwe, demanding that the government account for the
millions of dollars that it is raising through an AIDS-related tax. The
activists accuse the National AIDS Council—the government body that manages the
3 percent government-collected AIDS levy—of corruption. Zimbabwe was the first
African nation to introduce a tax aimed at raising money for AIDS prevention
and treatment programs, but the patients who were marching say nothing is
reaching them now.
One HIV-positive man explained that
he marched to protest his inability to obtain the anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs
that are necessary for prolonging his life. He added that the government tells
the press that ARVs are available, but the man claims that when he goes to
clinics and pharmacies, these drugs are not available. Police stated that they
would not sanction the march; nevertheless, the activists refused to back down,
with one marcher declaring that they were not protesting against the
government, just the corruption.
Tapiwa Magure, National AIDS Council
director, stated that the Council is up to date with their audits, adding that
there are tight controls. He declared that the Council is ready to explain
everything. However, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, an activist group,
has petitioned the National AIDS Council, demanding that the agency disclose
how the AIDS levy is being administered.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
