On Monday, IOL reported that the South African Police
Service (SAPS) said it will send anti-retroviral medication (ARVs) to the
illegal miners who are trapped underground at the disused Stilfontein mine
shaft in the North West.
The announcement was made on Monday after the High Court in
Pretoria issued an interim order which ruled that the shaft may not be blocked
by any person or institution, whether government or private.
Judge Brenda Neukircher ordered that relief workers should
be granted access to the mine, where thousands of workers are believed to be
trapped and in desperate need of medical attention and food.
The lifeline came after an urgent application by the
Society for the Protection of Our Constitution following the government’s
hardline approach against the miners which it labelled as “criminals”.
On Monday, authorities on site together with community
rescue teams received a note from the illegal miners written in isiZulu, asking
for ARVs to be sent into the mine shaft.
“Sicela ama ARVs plz, abantu bayawadinga ngapha. Siyacela
bandla”.
Translated in English: “Can we please have ARV pills.
People need them here, please.”
Speaking to broadcaster Newzroom Afrika on Monday,
Motsoaledi said the request presents a complexity.
“The department (of health) in itself does not provide
anybody with any medication. We develop policies, and the issue of you getting
medication is between you and your doctor. Firstly, a doctor must diagnose you
and prescribe for you. Antiretrovirals are not Panado, they are not
over-the-counter medication,” said Motsoaledi.
“They go from a doctor to a patient or a nurse to a patient
following particular policies and standards, but only after an encounter with
such a doctor. They are not just distributed like food, water or like vitamins.
That is what I was discussing with the Minister (of Police Senzo Mchunu).”
Motsoaledi said he does not know how the SA Police Service
could possibly send ARVs down the shaft to the stranded miners who apparently
take the chronic medication.
“Who do you send the ARVs to? As I am saying, for you to
get any medication especially like ARVs, a doctor ought to have examined you
and prescribed them. Under whose name will the ARVs come out, and where will
they come out from? What will they be treating, because we do not know the
diagnosis of anybody,” said the minister.
He added that the police minister clarified to him that
police had given an undertaking that SAPS will not stop anybody who intends to
go into the mine shaft to help the miners.
“We cannot just take medicine, and say somebody has demanded ARVs so we are taking them there. What if we are causing harm to a particular person? That is what I was asking the minister (Mchunu) on what this is all about, is it going to be done and what laws,” said Motsoaledi. IOL
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