PRETORIA, South Africa -- Prime Minister Jean Chretien talks a good line about his "carrot and stick" plan to overhaul Africa, but when the rubber hit the road yesterday, he backed off.
Chretien refused to condemn South Africa's strategy on HIV/AIDs even though a document prepared by Canada's High Commission for his visit said the plan is "not perceived as providing the leadership and support required to combat the (HIV/AIDs) pandemic."
The PM squirmed in his seat and abruptly ended a press conference when pressed on the controversial views of South African President Thabo Mbeki.
Mbeki is under fire in his own country and around the world for questioning the link between the HIV virus and AIDS. He has suggested there may not be one and that AIDS is really caused by poverty or dirty water. He's also refused to make Nevirapine avaiable. It's a drug which has been proven to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the HIV virus, "despite powerful evidence illustrating not only its effectiveness, but also its cost effectiveness," according to the document.
Chretien says it's none of Canada's business how South Africa deals with AIDs - this, despite the millions Canadian taxpayers contribute to South Africa annually for this purpose.
"In terms of the implementation of this program within each nation, it is done locally. It is not done by us. So I don't have any comment to make about how it's been interpreted in one nation or the other," said Chretien.
As chair of the G-8 in Kananaskis this June, Chretien is seeking to wind down his career in politics with a legacy that would put this impoverished continent back on track. He's pushing a "carrot and stick" plan that would see the world's richest countries provide investment and trade in Africa in exchange for better government, social reforms, and improved human rights. Those countries that fail to measure up would lose out.
Mbeki grew defensive when pressed on his views. "I don't know why the importance of this question. You should ask that question of scientists," he snapped. He added, however, that his government has commissioned 12 pilot projects at hospitals across the country to test the success of Nevirapine.
Later, South African officials hastily arranged a briefing for Canadian reporters to do some damage control. Minister of Foreign Affairs Mkosazana Dlamini-Zuma blamed the controversy on distorted media reports.
"Our policies use the point of view that HIV causes AIDS," she said.
Meanwhile, across town, Dr. Petier Koorts praised the success Nevirapine has had in reducing HIV transmission from mothers to their kids at the Mohau Children's Home, one of the 12 pilot projects.
"It does seem like the transmission rate has been reduced," said Koorts. "Any drug that can reduce the transmission of HIV would obviously be very important."
Koorts treats dozens of premature babies, young children and mothers infected with HIV or full-blown AIDs. Many of the kids are orphaned because their parents have also been victims of the disease.
Canada has contributed $40,000 over the past two years to pay for ventilators at this hospital that keep these babies alive.
South Africa has the largest number of HIV positive people in the world, estimated at 4.7 million - 25% of the country's population. It also has the fastest growing AIDS epidemic worldwide with some 250,000 South Africans dying every year.
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