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A reaction to Stephen Lewis's visit to Zimbabwe
Kerry Kay
December 11, 2002

Stephen Lewis, "United" Nations Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa visited Zimbabwe this week, as part of a Regional Tour ( Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and Zambia). I was able to attend a meeting at the UNDP boardroom on Thursday afternoon. I attended, naively, with some expectations. While those attending spoke on their little pilot projects on Mother to Child Transmission, Voluntary Testing and Counselling, which are all incredibly important, I made the huge mistake of being totally honest and suggesting that the UN see the appalling humanitarian (exacerbated by HIV/AIDS) disaster unfolding from a different perspective. As I spoke briefly on the "man made genocide by starvation", "the destruction of all organisations (HIV/AIDS included) that represented the people of Zimbabwe", "the demise of the primary health care system and no drugs, not even Panadol or Meth. spirits in the Rural clinics," "that prior to the clamp down on forex early this year, generic ART (anti-retrovirals) could be imported into Zimbabwe at a cost of only Z$1650,00 per month ", and suggested that the UN rather address the root cause of the current humanitarian disaster instead of brushing over or ignoring it, there was extreme and tangible discomfort in the room. Victor Angelo (head of UNDP Zimbabwe) and Stephen Lewis, shuffled uncomfortably in their chairs. Lewis response to the reality of the situation, was that he would not get "drawn in" (I did not hear the exact word he used) to that "for my pleasure" and proceeded to inform those present that HIV prevalence rates were high even in countries like Botswana that had a stable government and economy!

Later, he, Stephen Lewis, Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, apologised to black Africa for the "racist attitude of the West and the drug companies" which was the reason that money was not made available by the West for ART in the developing countries.

Well Stephen Lewis, please don't come to our African countries with your Western apologist attitudes, which incidentally are sickeningly patronising. Zimbabwe is a nation of strong, intelligent, resilient and very caring people. They do not like being patronized by Ian Smiths regime, Robert Mugabes, or first worlders! With a little help from our friends, here in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in the world, we can manage our HIV/AIDS epidemic, our famine and our corruption by being realistic and honest. What we cannot manage and will not accept is people not having the guts to stand up to a corrupt, genocidal regime, such at the ZANU PF ruling party, and maneuvering around it in order to remain "politically correct". That Mr. Lewis will not save lives, will not help the orphans, it will merely serve to prolong the agony....... with your help.

At the end of this discouraging meeting, Stephen Lewis, Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa!, asked " is there anyone here who is hopeful?". There was a deafening silence !!!!!!! Perhaps Stephen Lewis and Victor Angelo, should take cognisance of the silence of those present, and the comments I made on "a man made genocide by starvation" and build that into their "plans for the future". It is obviously not politically expedient for them to acknowledge that millions of Zimbabweans are being sentenced to a premature death by a few power hungry megalomaniacs.

The UN's credibility needs a boost - perhaps now is the time to work on that?

And, incidentally, there is a lot of hope in Zimbabwe, we are people, black and white, who have suffered, who have fought for what is right, just and democratic, who have worked tirelessly in HIV/AIDS prevention, and we won't give up until we have achieved the ideals of true democracy, where we as Zimbabweans will have rid ourselves of the corrupt ruling elite and be able to once again serve the needs of the sick and dying, and the orphans.

With hope and great love for our country,
Kerry Kay,
HIV/AIDS Programme Manager and Human Rights Activist.

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