TAC sent a letter to President Mbeki on Monday 1 October 2007 calling for him to establish a judicial commission of enquiry into the Virodene affair. The letter is signed by Vuyiseka Dubula, who is also a South African National AIDS Council People with HIV/AIDS Representative, and Lihle Dlamini, a TAC secretariat member. We have asked the President to respond by 31 October.

REQUEST FOR A JUDICIAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO PRESIDENCY AND HEALTH MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROMOTION AND TESTING OF VIRODENE

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Dear President Mbeki

Extremely serious allegations have been made by the media and a researcher with regard to the involvement of the Presidency and the Health Ministry in the promotion and testing of Virodene.

This is a formal request for the President to initiate a Judicial Commission of Inquiry under the powers invested in the President as per section 84 (2) of the Constitution.

The commission should examine

1. the extent of the involvement of the President, officials in the Presidency, the Health Minister or any other senior office bearers in government in the promotion and/or testing of Virodene;

2. the extent of involvement by private South African citizens, organisations (public and private) in experimentation on people in South Africa and other African countries;

3. legal steps, if any, that should be taken against officials of the South African government, private citizens and organisations; and

4. if the Presidency or the Health Ministry have been involved in undermining the independence of the Medicines Control Council required by the Constitution and Parliament to prevent unlawful human experimentation and to regulate medicine safety, efficacy and quality in the public interest.

We attach the following documents for your perusal:

James Myburgh's synopsis The Virodene Affair Parts I to V.

Newspaper article by Fiona Forde entitled: Mbeki link to toxic 'cure'.

We look forward to your urgent response before or on 31 October 2007.

Yours sincerely

Vuyiseka Dubula (TREATMENT ACTION CAMPAIGN PWA SECTOR CO-ORDINATOR AND SECRETARIAT MEMBER AND SANAC PWA REPRESENTATIVE)

Lihle Dlamini (TREATMENT ACTION CAMPAIGN SECRETARIAT MEMBER AND PWA)

cc:

Mr Jody Kollapen, Chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission; Fax (011) 484 8403

Ms Baleka Mbete, Speaker of Parliament; Fax (021) 461 9462

Mr James Ngculu, Chair of the National Assembly Portfolio Committee on Health; Fax (021) 387 6807

Mr Adv Mushwana, Public Protector; Fax (012) 366 7047/ 362 3473

Ms Brigitte Sylvia Mabandla, Justice Minister; Fax (012) 315 1749 or (021) 467 1730

Ms Fatima I. Chohan-Khota, Chair of the National Assembly Justice Portfolio Committee; Fax (011) 760 1583

Related Links:

» www.tac.org.za/nl20071007.html