- 19 April 2001

The decision by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
Association (PMA) to withdraw their court case against the
South African government is an historic victory of good over
evil. Every South African can be proud that we have won this
battle against such powerful and wealthy opponents. All of us
together made this possible.

For people living with HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses
there is now a ray of hope that they will soon be able to get
access to the life-saving treatment they need.

COSATU and the Treatment Action Group (TAC)
congratulate and thank the Government for standing firm in
defence of its legislation and refusing to enter into any deals
with the multinational drugs companies.

We also thank all those activists who sacrificed their time to
attend pickets and marches all over South Africa and the
international supporters in trade unions, NGOs, governments
and the 250 000 individuals who signed a petition. This
victory proves that mass mobilisation can lead to success.
People all over the world have won a major victory.

It is right that the South African government should be taking
the lead on behalf of all developing countries, in the struggle
for cheaper medicines and a better life for all their peoples.

The campaign however is not over. We need to continue to
work together to take the campaign forward until all who need
medicines have access to them. COSATU and TAC have
called for a conference between government and civil society
to look into ways to speed up the implementation of the
Medicines and Related Substances Control Amendment Act
and begin to supply life-saving anti-retroviral drugs to people
living with HIV/AIDS. We are also calling on the government
to increase the Health Department’s budget to make this
possible.

COSATU’s Central Executive Committee, at its meeting next
week, will also be considering making an appeal to major
employers like Anglo-American, De Beers, Old Mutual, etc.
to supply antiretroviral medicines to those of their employees
and their families who need them.

COSATU and TAC will be joining the international campaign
in support of the Brazilian Government, which has been taken
to the World Trade Organisation to answer ‘charges’ that it
too has passed laws to make cheaper drugs accessible to the
poor, in defiance of patent laws which favour the big private
corporations.

The South African case has proved that pressure from the
people of the world can humble the most mighty economic
giants. The call for ‘People before Profits!’ will be heard again
and again until it becomes a reality in every part of the globe.

Siphiwe Mgcina
COSATU Spokesperson

[email protected]
082-821-7456
339-4911

Visit the COSATU web site at http://www.cosatu.org.za/press/latest.html for copies of our most recent press statements.