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at President Kgalema Motlanthe's announcement that Manto Tshabalala-Msimang was no longer health minister, but had been replaced by popular struggle veteran Barbara Hogan.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.
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