By Deon de Lange and Natasha Joseph
There was singing in the streets on Thursday night at President Kgalema Motlanthe's announcement that Manto Tshabalala-Msimang was no longer health minister, but had been replaced by popular struggle veteran Barbara Hogan.
At Hogan's Cape Town CBD flat, members of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) serenaded her on Thursday night.
Fatima Hassan of the Aids Law Project embraced Hogan and announced that it was "the happiest day of my life", to roars of approval from about 50 TAC members who had gathered outside Hogan's flat to congratulate her.
The group initially gathered outside parliament, but decided to walk to Hogan's flat nearby and "serenade" her.
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The new health minister emerged from her flat minutes after the TAC members had arrived and started singing outside her block of flats.
While Hogan's confused neighbours gathered on their balconies to find out what all the fuss was about, the new minister told the assembled crowd that she was "deeply touched" by their support.
She said the ANC had "told me they want health delivery improved - that is my mandate".
Former TAC chairperson Zackie Achmat said Hogan's commitment to the provision of anti-retrovirals and support for organisations such as the TAC had "given people living with HIV hope".
Montlanthe also appointed former North West health MEC Molefe Sefularo as deputy health minister, filling a post that has remained vacant since former president Thabo Mbeki controversially axed Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge last year - ostensibly for travelling abroad without executive authority.
Madlala-Routledge made a stunning political comeback on Thursday when she was elected deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.
Tshabalala-Msimang, who has for years waged a high-profile war of words with the TAC - and crossed swords with the organisation in court - will become a minister in the Presidency, effectively filling the spot left open by Motlanthe's elevation to the country's top job this week.
And in a parting shot to the Mbeki-Tshabalala-Msimang duo, the TAC pointed out that "over 2 million South Africans died of Aids" on their watch.
"At least 300 000 deaths could have been avoided had the president merely met the most basic constitutional requirements."
Ironically - or perhaps serendipitously - it was Hogan who in parliament in February 2003 received on Mbeki's behalf the TAC's memorandum demanding urgent action on Aids treatment.
African Christian Democratic Party leader Kenneth Meshoe also welcomed the move, pointing out that there has been a "clear lack of delivery" in the health ministry under Tshabalala-Msimang.
"We can't afford any more of the paralysis that has affected government under a lame-duck presidency in the past nine months since Polokwane," he said.
Meshoe also said his party would continue to urge for the continuation of the "robust parliamentary oversight" that has lately come from ANC MPs themselves.
IFP MP and health spokesperson Ruth Rabinowitz responded positively to the appointments, but said she had "hoped and expected" that Madlala-Routledge would take over as health minister, since she already "has a handle on things" from her days as health deputy.
"We got Manto out. That's the best thing that could have happened," she said.
Responding to Hogan's appointment, Rabinowitz said she did not know how familiar Hogan was with health issues, but that "one must assume anyone is better than Manto" and that Hogan should therefore be "given a chance".
Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille said Motlanthe "has rescued the public - and probably the private - health sector in the country" by dumping Tshabalala-Msimang.
Not a single favourable word about Tshabalala-Msimang was uttered by MPs who spoke to Independent Newspapers on Thursday night.
Said De Lille: "Clearly, Motlanthe has tried to address some of the major weaknesses in the Cabinet - health, crime and justice. We are very happy with Barbara Hogan and I am sure the non-governmental community is equally pleased."
She also noted that the newly appointed Cabinet members would only serve until the next election and could therefore not do "too much damage" in their respective portfolios, provided they adhered to Motlanthe's undertaking that there would be not significant policy shifts between now and the election.
- This article was originally published on page 1 of The Star on September 26, 2008
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