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AIDS:
A multifaceted South African crisis (continued)
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It is difficult for many to imagine that in South Africa -- sub-Saharan Africa's most developed nation -- basic human needs are still not being met fully. Because of its position on the continent and its troubled past, South Africa's political climate is such that every move the government makes is carefully scrutinized. Everyone from its own citizenry to the non-governmental organizations and foreign powers lending aid and relying on South Africa's support has an opinion on how the ANC should run the country's affairs. And with the number of AIDS cases in South Africa nearly doubling since 1990, the country has been on the world's radar screen for its handling of the disease and Similela for one is tired of it. "Suddenly this disease is making everyone so moralistic about how we are treating and what we are doing," Similela says. She accuses the members of the National party -- the former architects of apartheid -- of expecting too much of the new government and not doing their share to fight the disease. "We are expected to transform, to handle that we are coming out of an apartheid era, to handle just being in governance and the fact that we are dealing with other races." Similela says, "I haven't heard a single candidate whether from the NP or any of the other parties talking about how the AIDS epidemic is going to decimate this country because it's a black thing." "No one focuses on that," Similela says. |
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